A Year of Small Moments
by MelissaVampGrrl
Summary: A peek into the budding relationship between Beast Boy and Raven throughout the course of their year.
1. Chapter 1: Halloween Havoc

_This story is going to be set around different months of the year, most of them holidays. The plan is to update once a month, often with a holiday featured for that portion of the story. I did this with another series and it was very well received. Let's see how something similar does with a different couple at its center. Here goes nothing…_

 _On a side note, this started out as a serious chapter and as I was writing, it just went in a whole different direction than planned. But I had fun with it, so we're starting off with some silliness._

Halloween Havoc

Raven stared at the Titans' fearless leader with an expression she knew must be bordering on disinterest. She doubted it was anything new for him to see on her face, but she attempted to at least project neutrality most of the time. It was rather difficult at the moment though, as the mission he was explaining to them held zero interest for her.

Fighting bad guys, she could get behind. Taking out henchmen and shutting down sites of illegal activity she was all for. But this? This felt almost like babysitting. And that she did not do.

Some rich socialite from Jump City was hosting a Halloween Ball. After receiving a few threats about an art piece she boasted of having on her bedroom wall, Claudia Mangout had somehow weaseled Robin—and thus the Titans—into personal security duty the night of the party.

Raven suspected it had something to do with Batman and the woman's connection to Gotham. That and the fact that the threats came from someone suspected of having ties with the Brotherhood. There were a lot of politics involved, but it broke down to one simple fact—the Titans would be attending the woman's Halloween Ball undercover, posing as guests while working as bodyguards and protectors of the arts.

"Cyborg," Robin said, hands on his hips as he addressed them. "I want you to stay behind at the Tower. This job requires a bit of…technical expertise."

"You want me logged into the security footage," Cyborg filled in, knowing where Robin was going with that.

The Boy Wonder gave a curt nod. "Exactly. Keep communication open and let us know if you see anything strange on the security feed." He turned his attention to the others. "Starfire and I will stay with the art piece. The perpetrator threatened to steal it out from under Ms. Mangout's nose the night of her party and hawk it to fund criminal activity in Jump City. We're not going to let that happen. That painting will not leave my sight."

Raven subtly rolled her eyes at this. It didn't take a genius to know why he'd choose that pairing. A chance to get Starfire alone in an intimate setting? She doubted he would spend much time at all looking at that painting.

"Raven, Beast Boy. The two of you will be Ms. Mangout's security detail. Stick close to her, but don't be too obvious about it. I promised we'd handle it…discretely."

Her and Beast Boy. That was nothing new. Ever since Starfire and Robin started dating, the two of them were constantly paired up for missions. Cyborg was the computer guy, so was usually left to do his own thing. This left Raven and Beast Boy suddenly sharing a lot of assignments together.

Raven gave a groan of annoyance at how awful the entire night sounded. "So we're supposed to follow this spoiled rich woman around without anyone noticing because it would reflect poorly on her reputation?"

"Exactly."

She glared at him, as he'd obviously not absorbed her irritation at this assignment. "That's stupid."

"It's a favor for Batman," he reasoned.

"Whatever," she grumbled. When Batman was involved, there was no talking Robin down. He didn't have the ability to tell the Bat no.

He clapped his hands together in delight. "Perfect. Now everyone get to the car. We've got a few necessities we need to purchase for this mission."

OOOOO

"No." Raven stared up at the mall's massive Halloween store in horror. "No, no, no, no, no."

"Yes," said Robin with grim satisfaction.

"It's a Halloween party," Beast Boy said from beside her. "Makes sense we would need costumes."

She shot the green changeling a dirty look and held up a hand. "Don't." She didn't need his input, especially if it was detrimental to her argument. Marching up next to Robin, she glared at their leader. "I'm not wearing some stupid Halloween costume."

He raised his brows, his mouth pressing into a tight line as he regarded her. "It's part of the job, Raven. We need to blend in. You'll wear a costume."

Her hands balled into fists, but she remained silent. As much as she might hate this whole thing, she wouldn't disobey a direct order from Robin.

And Robin knew it too. He gave her a cheeky grin. "Now get to shopping."

The other Titans walked eagerly into the store, but Raven moved at a more subdued pace. She loathed everything about this mission. The others would say she was being no fun, but she just had a hard time celebrating a day that glorified demons like her "dearly departed" dad. She could tell them with certainty that the romanticized idea of demons was more like a horror story. And truthfully, the whole concept of Halloween made her feel like a freak. Why would she wish to dress up like some demonic being when she _was_ one every other day of the year? Halloween was just so…juvenile.

Lifting a costume up from a rack, she gaped at the skimpy material. It was a cave woman…barely. She tilted her head to the side, wondering where the rest of the material was.

"Hot."

She closed her eyes for a moment, embarrassment filling her at the sound of Beast Boy's voice. Of course, he would catch her looking at something so completely inappropriate. "Yeah, well. Not my thing," she said, placing the outfit back on the rack. "That's more Starfire's style than mine."

"Why?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. "You've got the legs for it." His head cocked to the side much like hers had done a moment ago with the costume, and he stared appraisingly at her thighs.

Ire welled inside of her and she cleared her throat very pointedly. "I suggest you walk away now."

A blush heated his cheeks almost instantly and he scurried off.

Moving away from the section of skimpy outfits, she found herself in a row filled with princess gowns. She shivered in disgust. No way in hell.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire appeared at her side, waving a dress so full of ruffles and sequins Raven had to avert her gaze or be blinded. It was an eyesore of pink tulle and glitter. "Do you not love the princess dress?"

"Um…it's…" She tried to think of something polite to say about the gown. "It looks like something most girls would like." There. Polite without lying.

"It is!" Starfire hugged the dress to her chest in enthusiasm.

"But…aren't you already a princess? It's kind of redundant, isn't it?"

"It is the ironic," Starfire supplied happily.

Raven held up a finger, unable to even voice a reply to that. "I'll be back in a minute." Stalking off down the aisle, she went in search of Robin. She found him a few aisles over, staring up at a wall of men's costumes, a contemplative frown on his face.

"This is stupid," she grumbled as she joined him. "Starfire is dressing as a princess. A _princess_. That's not even a costume. It's her life."

Robin glanced away from the archer costume he was looking at to focus his attention on her. "It's just a costume, Raven. I don't understand why it's such a big deal."

She threw her hands up into the air. "Because it's _dumb_. We wear costumes every day. We don't need other ones." Something on the shelf caught her eye and she made a sound of exasperation. Snatching up the Robin costume, she waved it in his face. "Look! Look! A Robin costume. You could pay" —she glanced at the price— "holy hell, forty-five dollars for a cheap replica costume. _Or_ you could just wear the real thing. Seems like a no brainer to me."

His chest puffed up at the sight of his own costume on display, but he quickly attempted to hide his excitement from her. Taking the costume from her hand, he placed it back on the shelf. "The point is to blend in. If we go in there in full super hero getup, it's not exactly subtle. Please, can you just do this?"

Knowing she'd lost the argument, Raven let out a huff of annoyance. "Fine. But just know I'm not happy about this."

"Noted," Robin said with a little smirk.

Hating his amusement, she marched off back across the store. As her eyes flicked over costume after useless costume, she silently envied Cyborg. Because he would be running surveillance from the Tower, he'd gotten to skip out on this asinine trip.

Meandering back down the aisles, she tried to find something that was at least acceptable. Women's costumes seemed to have a theme. They were either bulky and girly—like Starfire's princess costume—or they were skimpy and revealing. Honestly, she'd rather go the revealing route than wear something girly. Or _pink_. It just wasn't her. Besides, all that material would get in the way if she needed to fight.

 _So skimpy it is_ , she thought with a grimace. As annoying as his observations might be, Beast Boy was right. At least she had the legs for it. And she was proud of her figure. She worked hard enough for it, after all.

Sighing, she perused the rack of costumes. She dismissed each one as she went. A French maid? Though she might feel like a maid at times living with three members of the opposite sex, she was not about to wear something so incredibly sexist. A sexy nurse? Even though she had healing abilities, she felt no affinity toward the outfit, especially not with the way the girl's bosom was practically bursting from the material on the packaging cover. A sexy school girl? She shuddered at the thought. Why did all of these have to be so _awful_?

Then her eyes fell on a costume she didn't immediately hate. That was something, right? She took a step toward it, her eyes warily taking in the outfit. Princess Leia. In her gold bikini. She picked up the package and examined it. Princess Leia was at least a strong female figure. She helped lead a rebellion. And she hadn't chosen this skimpy outfit for herself. It had been forced upon her when she'd been held prisoner by Jabba the Hut. And the chain around her throat practically symbolized being trapped, as Raven would feel at this stupid party.

She smiled slightly. And hadn't Leia strangled and killed Jabba with the chains he'd enslaved her with? She glanced at Robin in amusement. During this Halloween shindig, she could finger those chains any time she grew angry and envision giving her leader the same treatment.

Decision made, she tucked the costume under her arm and made her way over to the others. Starfire was still clutching her princess dress with excitement. Raven doubted Robin would have any issues with it, despite the trouble it might cause in a fight, due to the incredibly low-cut top.

Raven rolled her eyes and tossed her costume down onto the checkout counter next to the one Robin had selected.

The girl working there snapped her fingers and pointed at them. "Hey! You guys look like those super heroes! The Titans!"

Raven gave her a deadpanned stare of disbelief. "Imagine that."

"Great costumes," the girl chirped. "You guys look just like them! That's some of the best cosplay I've ever seen!" She pouted. "You're just missing the robot guy and the green one."

Beast Boy popped up next to the counter and tossed a costume down onto its surface.

"Hey! There he is! Your skin looks amazing!"

Beast Boy sent her an inquisitive look, not realizing she thought he was wearing costume makeup to tint his skin green. "Um…thanks."

Raven shot Robin a look of annoyance. "See? She thinks we're in costume. And by that, I mean fake costumes."

"Can we just get a total please?" Robin asked, ignoring Raven's comment.

The girl smiled cluelessly as she rang up their purchase. "Those costumes are so good I would think you were really _them_. But the real Titans have better things to do than shop at a silly costume store."

"Yes, they do," Raven said in annoyance, which only caused the girl to laugh.

"That's a totally Raven thing to say!"

Rolling her eyes, Raven marched away, resigned to her fate.

OOOOO

Raven sat glumly in the far corner of the party, her arms wrapped around her bare waist as she glared in the direction of their hostess. Just as she'd surmised, she was hating every moment of this.

At the Tower, Robin and Starfire had headed to the party first. They'd arrived before the other guests to talk to Ms. Mangout and get set up in the bedroom. Cyborg had gotten into the security feeds before they even left. Raven and Beast Boy had arrived separately, going about their own business from different areas of the room. But she knew she would have to find him at some point as the two were supposed to be working as a team.

Sighing, she watched as Ms. Mangout twirled on the dance floor, laughing and flirting and just being over the top charming. Raven made a gagging sound and tightened her arms around her waist. She knew she was doing the self-pity thing, but she couldn't help it. Robin and Starfire were probably upstairs with their lips locked together, fully taking advantage of some alone time while she was down here with jerks hitting on her and people almost spilling their beer into her lap.

"Would you like to dance?"

Raven didn't even afford the man in black who stood before her a glance. "No. Go away or I'll break your arm." That had worked rather well with all of the others, so she was surprised when this guy merely shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

She waited, eyes lowered to the ground, for him to take the hint and walk away. When he didn't, she lifted her gaze in outrage and found herself staring into familiar jade green eyes.

Beast Boy ran a hand along the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Sheesh, Rae. I get that you aren't thrilled to be here, but we're supposed to be working together."

She blinked in silent surprise at him for a moment. She hadn't even recognized him at first. Her gaze flitted over his costume. He was dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. The black outfit and cape helped keep him from standing out too much. Unfortunately for him, his skin was green, so the half mask was doing little to hide that. He should have opted for something with full coverage.

"I don't dance," she finally said, once her gaze had settled on his again.

"Yeah, but…we're supposed to be blending in."

" _And?"_

He flinched at her tone. "And you're not exactly…doing that." He frowned, shuffling his feet again. "You're hiding in the corner snapping at people. It's not exactly mingling, you know."

She let out a sigh and ran her hands over her face. He was right. She knew he was right. That didn't mean she had to like it. On the other hand, she had a mission and she was not one to let Robin down. "Fine." Though her mouth said "fine" her tone was anything but that.

His brows arched in surprise. "Really?"

"Really," she grumbled. "It's not as if I've got much choice." Climbing to her feet, she found herself with her nose practically in his chest. She blinked, as if it suddenly occurred to her that she now had to look up at him. When had that happened?

She lifted a hand to press lightly on his chest, easing him back. When she did, she caught sight of his expression. He was staring at her costume with his mouth gaping open. His gaze flitted over her bare midriff, over the high cut of the over-skirt that left little to the imagination, leaving her exposed nearly all the way up to her hip. Something unfamiliar flashed through his eyes and it made her feel…uncentered. Even if just for a fraction of a second. "Problem, Garfield?" she asked dryly.

His gaze snapped up to hers, his eyes widening in alarm. "No!" he squeaked. "No problem." Trying to quickly recover, he shot her one of his lopsided smiles and held out his hand. "Let's just dance."

She stared at his offered hand, not wishing to take it. Doing so would feel like officially giving up on her protests. Refusing to take his hand was the last bit of resistance she had left to her.

With a grin, he reached out and wrapped his fist around the chain that connected to the choker at her throat. He gave a little tug, pulling her forward, closer to him.

She found herself nearly pressed up against his chest while his grip on the chain kept her from pulling away. Her belly gave an alarming flutter at the sensation, one that caught her completely off guard. "Garfield," she hissed warningly. He was playing with fire here, steering her around like this. He had to realize that…

He ignored her objection as he continued pulling her toward the dance floor, keeping her gratuitously close to his lithe frame. He walked backward, his steps graceful, like a wild cat's. She supposed that made sense, in a very odd sort of way as he was still packaged in a human body.

Once he reached the dance floor, he gave a final tug at the chain, and Raven found herself suddenly in his arms. She sucked in a sharp breath as her breasts pressed up against a surprisingly firm chest. "This…this is unnecessary."

"You're posing as my date, Raven. And if you were my date, we'd dance just…like…this." One of his hands rested against her hip and the other slipped up her back, holding her close.

Raven's gaze avoided his, looking everywhere but at him. Awkwardly, she lifted her hands and placed them ever so lightly on his shoulders, offering as little contact as possible. She moved stiffly in his arms, praying the song ended quickly so she could escape. One song and they could convince people that they were just an ordinary couple, enjoying a night out together. Though his actions were nothing more than part of an assignment, this was hands down the most awkward moment she'd ever had with the changeling. And there had been plenty.

"We could be brother and sister," she finally supplied.

He snorted at this and just shook his head.

Yeah, he was right. At this point, the way they were dancing did not come off with a sibling vibe. Nor had the look in his eyes when he'd seen her costume. Frowning, she pushed this thought to the back of her mind.

Instead, she tried to concentrate on something else. Like the way he'd just stepped on her foot. She cringed and opened her mouth to offer criticism, but something caused her to pause. She couldn't immediately place what it was, but then she sucked in a breath and held it when she felt his fingers graze along her bare back, caressing her flesh. "What are you doing?" she asked in a tight voice.

"Hmm?" He flicked his gaze down to hers, an expression of puzzlement on his face.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

She snapped her jaw shut and clenched it tightly. _Stop what._ Was he purposely toying with her? Was this some sort of game? And why was her body _reacting_ to it? "I'm hot," she finally said. "Get me a drink?" If he was looking to get a reaction out of her, he was going to be disappointed.

Looking not at all disheartened, he grinned toothily before jogging off in the direction of the punch bowls.

She followed him at a more subdued pace, her hands circling her waist once again in an attempt to cover up some of her exposed skin. Standing at the side of the dance floor, she waited for him to return.

The moment he did, she took the orange, foamy punch from his grasp and tipped it to her lips. She guzzled it, grateful for the chilled liquid. The acidic taste burned its way down her throat after she'd swallowed, like icy hot for the throat. It helped her refocus. "That was good."

He was watching her over the rim of his cup, smirking as he drank his at a much slower pace. "It is. Should I grab you another?"

She silently nodded her head in confirmation. She could definitely use another drink. Everything about this mission had her feeling out of sorts. Focusing on her cup helped to steady her.

As she waited, she surveyed the room. Everyone was still dancing and having fun. There were no bad guys in sight. Everything seemed calm on the surface. And even if it hadn't been, this was a rather easy mission.

Then why did she feel so tense? Because of one slightly sensual tug on her chain that hadn't meant a damn thing? Surely that couldn't be it. This was Beast Boy she was thinking about, after all. It wasn't like she was attracted to him. She just wasn't used to physical interaction, so it had her off kilter…right?

Another drink was pressed into her hand, and she turned to give Beast Boy a grateful smile. "All's still calm," she observed.

He nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Which means you can get rid of that line between your eyebrows," he said, rubbing his thumb between her eyes as if to smooth away her frown line.

"Don't be annoying."

He snickered. "It's kind of all I got. I'm horrible at flirting."

His comment caused her to frown, and she drew her cup to her lips to hide her response. Was he flirting? Is that what had her so on edge? And if he was…why?

Tipping back his cup, he finished it off before tossing it into a nearby trashcan. Then he tugged at her elbow. "Let's dance again."

She shook her head. Once had been enough. She wasn't looking for a repeat occurrence. "I'm done dancing for the night," she said firmly, taking another sip from her drink. "If you want to dance, you'll have to do it on your own."

OOOOO

Music reverberated through the room, the bass pounding roughly in her chest. Her heart seemed to beat in time to the rhythm, matching the sensual swivel of her hips as she rocked them from side to side.

Behind her, Beast Boy yelled out ridiculous lyrics to some ridiculous song and it caused a laugh to burst from her lips. She raised her cup in the air, saluting the gibbering, though she honestly had no clue what the song was about.

Garfield let out a laugh of his own and released his hand from where it had rested against her bare stomach to hold her against him. He instead took her hand and twirled her around, her arm stretched above her head like some sort of Disney princess. Then he guided her in against his body once again with a hand on her hip. Waggling his eyebrows comically, he swayed against her to the ear-splitting music. His hips were pressed tightly to hers, and one of her arms was slung loosely around his neck.

"This party is fun," she yelled in his ear. Had she ever had fun like this before? Ever? She knew the answer to that. No. She hadn't. Why did she never have fun like this?! She spun again, placing her backside snugly against his groin as they danced. She rolled her hips back against his is a seductive move she hadn't known was in her arsenal. Her left arm snaked up behind her to wrap around his neck. Her right hand lifted her cup to her lips again and she took a refreshing sip…only to have the room spin ever so slightly.

 _What the hell?_

She reached her left hand down to the one he had on her hip to steady herself. "What the…" Her vision swam slightly and she blinked in an effort to focus. Her eyes lowered to the cup in her hand and a chill raced through her as a horrible, horrible thought hit her. "Beast Boy…" She spun to face him once again, but this time there was no smile on her face.

He didn't seem to notice. He tightened his grip on her hip and pulled her closer.

She noticed that he stumbled ever so slightly on his feet, as if the action were difficult.

 _Shit._ She had a suspicion that frightened her. Lifting her cup, she asked, "Where did you get this?"

He grinned goofily at her. "What?"

Taking his hand, she dragged him off of the dance floor, heading toward the beverage lineup. "Where did you get these drinks?" she repeated forcefully.

He waved a hand vaguely at the drink table. "There."

Raven tugged him closer to the table and waved at the punch bowls. "Which bowl." One of the bowls was labeled "virgin" while the other had nothing in front of it.

"Obviously that one," he said, pointing to the unlabeled bowl.

Shit. Just as she'd suspected—they were drunk. That explained their completely out of character actions. There was no way in hell she would be grinding on Beast Boy on a dance floor if she were in full control of herself. There was no way she would even be dancing to such upbeat music in the public eye if she'd had her full wits about her. "Why would you take from that bowl?" she asked, enraged and a little embarrassed as she played back their practical groping on the dance floor.

"Um…I'm not taking from the bowl insultingly labeled "virgin". That's embarrassing. It's no one's business—"

"Virgin means non-alcoholic, you idiot! You gave me alcohol! A lot of it." She looked in horror at her cup. "I had like…seven of these. Oh my god." She dropped the cup into a nearby wastebasket as if it were hot to the touch. "We're drunk."

"We are not drunk," he said with a laugh. And then he wobbled, stumbling into the table. "Holy crap, we're drunk!"

She smacked his chest with the palm of her hand and sent a special glare his way. "You _idiot_." The action made her dizzy and she reached out to grip the table to steady herself. "How are we supposed to—"

As if sensing their dilemma and wanting to pile on, Cyborg called on her communicator.

Forcing a professional expression onto her face, she answered. "Go for Raven."

"You've got some bad guys in the front parking lot. I see…three. Another four went around back, heading for the art piece. Robin and Starfire are waiting for them. Your three are looking to crash the party as a distraction. Usual bad guy tactics. Scare people, keep their attention away from the real focus. You and Beast Boy head them off in the parking lot. Keep the guests from even knowing they're there."

Raven nodded her confirmation, then shut down the line. Once the connection with Cyborg was severed, her gaze lifted to Beast Boy's and she glared again. "You moron. How are we supposed to _fight_ in this condition?"

Beast Boy looked at her with wide, horrified eyes. "I don't know!" He fretfully ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in crazy spikes. "I'm sorry, Raven! I didn't know!"

She seriously contemplated punching him, but at the last second, she merely let out a weary sigh. He'd been the one to give her alcohol, but she'd been the one to drink it. She should have realized that the burning sensation that came with each sip meant she wasn't drinking just punch. But she'd never had alcohol before, in her own defense. Even if she was old enough, she would have abstained. Her life revolved around being in control, and consuming alcohol was the opposite of that.

"Let's just get outside and take care of this. We have super powers. Even if we're drunk, we should still have the advantage." She took a step toward the doorway and wobbled on her feet. Her hand reached out to his arm to steady herself. "Put your arm around my waist."

" _What_?" he asked, sounding almost panicked. It was an amusing reaction for someone who'd had his groin pressed into her backside on the dance floor only a few minutes ago.

"Just help me get outside. Once the cool air hits me, I'm sure some of the fog will lift." Though she honestly wasn't all that certain. What did she know about how to overcome the affects of alcohol? Oh, right. Nothing.

Beast Boy's arm snaked around her waist, and he pulled her in against his side.

Using each other for support, they made their way clumsily toward the house's massive double front doors.

As she gripped the doorknob in clumsy fingers, Raven tried to ignore the fact that his hand was pressed against her bare midriff, green fingers splayed across pale flesh. It caused her a moment's pause though as she realized she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him without gloves on. She found it almost baffling that she'd never actually seen his bare hands before now.

She shook her head, trying to focus. Beast Boy's hands weren't the pressing matter. Stopping the bad guys outside was what she needed to be concentrating on. With a grunt of effort, she yanked the door open and pulled him out into the crisp autumn air. "Okay," she said, glancing in the direction they needed to go. "Cyborg said they're coming in from the parking lot. We should head there."

It was such an obvious thing to do. In fact, it was what Cyborg had instructed them to do. She didn't know why she'd felt the need to voice this plan. Probably because her head was feeling all fuzzy.

"Good strategy, Rae!" Beast Boy's tone came out so…enthusiastic. As if following simple instructions was not something he'd have come up with on his own. Holy shit, were they drunk.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, she pushed his arm away and straightened out the wispy fabric that made up the bottom half of her costume. With determination, she made her way down the enormous steps that led to the lot. "Let's do this." Despite her vocal confidence, her hand gripped the rail beside her in a death grip.

At the bottom of the stairs, she reluctantly released the railing and ventured into the rows of parked cars. She found maneuvering around them in her state difficult. Her hip bumped against a trunk and she shot a hand out to it in order to keep herself from toppling over. Irritation at Beast Boy welled again as she forced herself to concentrate harder on simply putting one foot in front of the other.

Behind her a loud _bang_ sounded. She whipped her head in its direction to see him bounce off of a car. A snort of amusement escaped her before she could stop it. "You're so drunk."

"It's not funny," he whined. But his protest was made lest effective by the laugh that followed.

Raven joined in, unable to help herself. She knew she would never laugh like this on a normal day—especially at something so foolish—but in her current state, she couldn't hold back. " _I'm_ so drunk," she said in awe, her hands coming up to cover her mouth as if she could hold in her mirth.

Something that could only be described as a giggle escaped him. "You _are_ drunk."

"Stop it!" A helpless giggle of her own burst passed her fingers. "Don't make fun of me!"

This only made him laugh harder. He collapsed against the car's trunk, dissolving into more giggles.

The sound of a —mostly—grown man giggling was enough to make her laugh so hard her side hurt. She clung to the rearview mirror of the car in front of her, and gave an unlady-like snort as another wave of laughter burst from her lips.

This brought another round of laughs from Beast Boy. "You snorted! I don't think I've ever heard you laugh hard enough to snort. I did it! I did it!"

"You did not," she said, between hiccupping laughs. "The alcohol did it."

"Please," said a dry, humorless voice from behind them." Don't let us interrupt."

Raven spun around with a little gasp to find three masked men standing menacingly before her—their bad guys.

Okay, it was time to get serious.

Straightening up, she stared down the criminals. The silence stretched, and she realized they were expecting her to respond. She racked her brain for something to say. She never was good at this part of the gig.

What she felt was a good super hero jab flitted through her mind, but the connection from her brain to her mouth seemed to be off. What came out wasn't at all what she'd mentally arranged. "Prepare to have your butts touched!"

The man's eyes widened in shock. " _What?_ "

Beast Boy burst into laughter and leaned heavily against the car. "She wants to touch your butts."

"I meant I'm going to…" The words failed her. "Kick…something?" With a frustrated growl, she spread her arms out, summoning her powers. "Screw it. Let's just fight." Except her powers didn't come as she'd expected. She got a fizzle of magic, a black spark that crackled at her fingertips. Then…nothing. "Crap!" She shook her arms as if trying to jumpstart her powers. They crackled again before fizzling out.

The man was advancing on her.

She backpedaled as she tried again to get her powers working. It seemed she was too inebriated to focus properly.

"Don't worry. I got this," Beast Boy said confidently. And then he transformed into a butterfly.

" _How is that supposed to help?_ " she asked frantically as her back hit the car.

Beast Boy suddenly plopped down to the pavement between herself and the man, giving a little holler of surprise. "That was supposed to be a rhino!" He transformed again, this time into a penguin. He turned back into his usual form with another holler. "Rhino!" He turned into a humming bird. "Ahh," he cried once he turned back into himself with a little _pop_ sound. Then he became a fish, flopping uselessly on the ground.

When he phased back into his normal form again, the man punched him in the nose.

Beast Boy stumbled and fell into the car.

"Hey!" Raven cried in outrage. "Totally not cool!" Pulling her arm back, she punched the man in an act of revenge.

He obviously wasn't expecting her response, because his eyes widened and he gripped his bleeding nose.

"Ha! I can still throw a punch!" Not that it was the most graceful punch, and it left her head reeling, but at least it was something productive.

"Rhino!"

A moment later, a large green snake slithered passed her, and Raven watched as it coiled itself around the bad guy's legs, sweeping them out from under him. The man then lifted off the ground, being swung by a massive, green tail. He went sailing through the air and slammed into a nearby car where he fell unconscious to the pavement.

Beast Boy turned back into himself. "Tie him up! I'll worry about the other two."

Even though it obviously hadn't gone as planned, Beast Boy had still managed to take out one of the men. That was at least a good start. And it was an advantage she wanted to keep.

Rushing over to the downed man, she pulled out zip tie cuffs—supplied to the Titans by the local police force—she'd hidden behind her belt and restricted the man's hands behind his back. It took her a bit longer than usual, but she finally got them in place.

She was just climbing to her feet when Beast Boy came sailing through the air toward her. His body slammed into hers and they both fell to the ground. The air was momentarily knocked out of her, and her back ached as she landed on a rock. She was pretty sure her palms were scraped up, but as she lay on the pavement relearning how to breathe, that wasn't the most alarming thing that came to her attention. Oh, no. It was the fact that she was very scantily clad. It was the fact that Beast Boy had landed on top of her and instead of immediately jumping up like he normally might, he was staring down at her with a look in his eyes she couldn't quite place. It was the fact that their legs were tangled, hers nestled between his, and that his body was pressed intimately along hers.

She sucked in a surprised breath and stared up at him.

Jade eyes stared back. His head lowered, his mouth coming closer to hers—

And then he was yanked off of her by one of the bad guys.

Raven sat up, letting out a shaky exhale. _What the hell had just happened? Had he been about to…_ No! She must have mistaken things. There was no way in hell Garfield Logan would ever try to kiss her. He wasn't _that_ dumb.

"A little help!"

Her eyes moved to his current predicament and she forgot all about what his actions might or might not mean. He really did need help. And she needed to get off of the dirty pavement. Pushing up from the ground, she lifted a hand and threw a blast of power at the two men that were currently holding Beast Boy's arms down at his sides.

Beast Boy saw the swirling mass of black energy coming his way and, with a high-pitched yelp, turned into a grasshopper.

The two men were blasted off their feet. They flew a good fifteen feet through the air before smashing into the side of a car. The car's alarm began screeching, the sound echoing through the night as the men collapsed unconscious to the ground.

"Huh," she said with amusement. First, she hadn't been able to harness her powers at all. Now they'd shot out of her with ridiculous force. It was a good thing Beast Boy had managed to become something tiny to avoid the blast.

With a flick of her wrist, she used her powers to silence the car alarm. Thankfully, it was something she'd become good at in her line of work, and it came second nature to her. She then contacted Cyborg on her communicator. "We took them down. No problem." Okay, that was a bit of a fib, but she there was no way she was admitting to Cyborg that they were drunk and stumbling around like fools.

"Good to hear," Cyborg said. "Local law enforcement is on their way."

"We're leaving them restrained in the parking lot. Third row in against a blue SUV. Law enforcement can pick them up there. We'll head in and give Robin and Starfire assistance."

"Copy."

As she bent down next to the unconscious villains to tie their wrists, Beast Boy suddenly popped up beside her, no longer a grasshopper.

"You almost killed me!" After a pause, he broke into laughter. "That was awesome!"

She offered him a wry smile as she worked. "It…kinda was."

He crouched down beside her and together they tied up the last two bad guys. She couldn't help but notice how close he was, his shoulder brushing against hers as he moved, and it sent a little tremor down her spine. Frowning at the unexpected reaction, she was glad for the disruption to her thoughts as the man she'd just tied up began stirring.

He groaned, his head lolling to the side. After a moment, his muddy brown eyes opened to glare at her.

Seeing the dirty look she was receiving, Beast Boy chuckled. "I think you just added a member to your fan club."

"What fan club?" she asked with a snicker. The laughing and her crouched position were a bad combination. She wobbled and was forced to lean heavily against Beast Boy to keep herself upright. This caused him to topple, and the two of them ended up on the pavement, laughing like fools once more.

"Are you…are you _drunk_?" the bad guy asked. He let out a growl of anger. "We get no respect. None! Now you see us as such a low-level threat that you show up drunk to a fight?"

Raven let out a giggle at this as she struggled to untangle herself from Beast Boy and get to her feet. "You're the one that got beaten by two drunk teenagers."

The man sent her a glare. She could practically see his mind whirring as he tried to come up with a good comeback. "Yeah…well…" His eyes lit up as an idea came to him. "Well, you're not so high and mighty, are you? Underaged drinking. You're breaking the law just as much as I am."

Raven rolled her eyes and offered Beast Boy a hand to help him get him to his feet. "I'll make a note to turn myself in." Helping Beast Boy up wasn't the best idea, as it only made her stumble and fall against his chest as he gained his feet.

He offered her a crooked grin and a little chuckle.

She rolled her eyes again and pushed away from him. Turning back to the criminal who'd taken offense at their drunken state, she sent out another blast of power, this one more restrained. It was just enough to knock him out again so he wouldn't try to escape before law enforcement arrived.

"Let's head inside and help the others."

Beast Boy nodded and started toward the front of the house. He was still walking a little crooked, but he was no longer falling over himself. Maybe he was sobering up a bit. She could only hope.

Just in case she was still more wobbly than she realized, she reached a hand out and grabbed hold of the back of his cape. As her eyes focused on the black material, she offered a little snort of amusement.

"What?" he asked over his shoulder as he carefully maneuvered the steps.

"You're a super hero who doesn't wear a cape."

"And?" he asked, amusement leaking into his voice.

"But you have one now. For Halloween. That's funny."

He snickered at her observation. "I guess I knew I didn't have the body to pull off the cape look on a regular basis." He shot her an appreciative look over his shoulder. "I don't have the legs for it like you do."

She rolled her eyes at this but chose not to comment. Instead, she focused on getting up the treacherous steps without stumbling or falling back down them.

Once at the top, she followed him into the large ballroom. Their hostess was still dancing and enjoying herself as if there hadn't just been a fight in the parking lot…or one that was no doubt currently going on upstairs in the master bedroom.

That thought in mind, she headed toward the large staircase that would lead up to where Robin and Starfire were. Her foot was on the bottom step when Cyborg called on her communicator.

"Raven?" he asked when she answered. "Robin and Starfire handled the situation upstairs. All bad guys are down and accounted for. They're taking them out the back to remain discreet. Rob said he would meet law enforcement in the parking lot to hand everybody off. Looks like you two are off the clock."

With that, he signed off.

Raven stared at her communicator for a moment, a thoughtful frown on her lips. They were done. They could go home, crawl into bed, and forget this ridiculous night ever happened. Or… Turning to him, she put a hand on his shoulder to remain stable. "Maybe we should stick around for a bit longer. Just in case more bad guys show up."

His brows rose in surprise at her offer. "Seriously? I figured you'd be racing out that door to get away from this party you were so utterly against. But if you think someone else might show up…"

Raven put a finger to her lips and made a shushing sound. "I'm using the bad guys as an excuse to stay and spend more time with you. Don't tell Beast Boy." She hadn't said that aloud, right? That had been in her head…right? Maybe she was still more drunk than she thought.

His face split into one of the biggest grins she'd ever seen. "Sure, Rae. It'll be our secret. He'll never know."

" _Good_ ," she said dramatically. "I don't want him to know that I actually kind of like him. When he's not being an idiot, he's not so bad." She smiled almost fondly. "And his ears are kind of cute."

His ears perked up at the mention of them and he ran a hand along the tip of his right one. " _Really_?"

With a secretive smirk, she pressed her finger to her lips once again. "Just make sure he doesn't hear. He'll be impossible to deal with if he finds out."

Beast Boy nodded. "Okay. I won't tell. Under one condition…come dance with me again." Grabbing her hand, he dragged her toward the dance floor.

For once, she didn't fight him. She let him pull her into the sparkling lights reflecting off of a dicso ball in the center of the dance floor. They stayed on the fringes, so as not to bother anyone else, but it was more than she'd ever considered doing. As the soft, slow music wafted from the speakers across the room, Raven stepped in against Beast Boy, draping her arms casually over his shoulders.

His arms snaked around her waist, his warm skin scorching against her own chilly flesh.

She shivered and stepped in closer, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She had a feeling she was going to regret this decision tomorrow, but for now, she was going to enjoy herself. She deserved a break from being the serious one every now and then. And tonight was that night.

OOOOO

Raven gave a pained groan and pressed a hand to her forehead. Even a forty-minute, scalding-hot shower hadn't done much to alleviate her hangover. She now understood why some people said drinking was evil. She'd always detested the out of control way people behaved when they were drunk, but this might be even worse. It was punishment for acting so out of character.

The night was still a bit fuzzy, but the parts she was able to piece together…well, they were alarming. Had she been flirting with Beast Boy? He was never going to let her live that down.

Shuffling down the hallway, she flinched when Starfire came flying at her from the opposite end in a whirl of energy and excitement.

"Friend Raven!"

Raven flinched and held a hand up. "Quieter. Please."

Starfire nodded and Raven could visibly see her friend reign herself in. "Friend Raven," she said on a whisper. Though her voice was more restrained, the excitement in her eyes did not dim. She was floating up closer and closer to the ceiling in her enthusiasm.

Raven had to reach a hand out and pull her down a bit to keep her from bonking her head against the roof. "What's got you so frantic this morning?" she asked dryly. Of course Starfire would be up early and be eager for conversation on the day Raven was experiencing her first—and preferably only—hangover.

"I wanted to hear all about the party from you," the alien princess said in enthusiasm.

"Um…it was a job. We beat up some bad guys. Then we came home."

"No, no, no." Starfire waggled a finger in the air. "I snuck a few quick glances downstairs and saw you dancing very closely to a man with impressive shoulders." She squealed in excitement, causing Raven to flinch. "Did you find someone you wish to smoochy smoochy with? Oh, I am so excited for you, friend."

Raven flinched now for a whole new reason. "That wasn't a man. That was a Beast Boy." Star's words danced through her mind. Did Beast Boy have impressive shoulders? It was true he'd gotten taller over the years. In fact, he'd passed her up in height a while ago. And all of the training Robin put them through had definitely helped add muscle… She felt a blush touch her cheeks as she pictured the way the muscles in his back moved within his tight uniform in the midst of battle. Oh yeah, Beast Boy had filled out. She frowned, annoyed at Starfire for bringing that bit of information to her attention.

"Oh," Starfire said dolefully, drooping in the air with an expression of disappointment on her face. But then her eyes widened and she flitted back up toward the ceiling, only missing the lighting fixture because Raven tugged her to the right a few inches just in the nick of time. "Oh!"

Raven shook her head, shooting her friend a warning glare. "Don't even go there." She headed in the direction of the kitchen, walking completely underneath Starfire as she went. "We were posing as a couple. Don't go looking for things that aren't there."

Without waiting for a response, she headed into the kitchen. Upon entering, she was surprised to see Beast Boy sitting at the kitchen table. He wasn't usually up at this hour.

The normally chipper Titan was sitting with his head in his hands. He was completely silent. He didn't even look up as she entered.

Arching her brows at his lack of greeting, she grabbed her tea kettle from the cupboard, filled it with water, and placed it on the stove. The small metallic clink of the kettle drew a groan from him. That was when it hit her.

"Hangover?" she asked, spinning to face him.

He nodded with another sound of misery.

"Yeah. Me too." She paused a moment before adding, "Though don't think I feel all that sorry for you. You were the one to serve us the alcohol. Not me."

He bobbed his head in understanding. "I figured that would be your stance."

Relenting, she said, "Let me make you some green tea. It always helps me when I have a headache. Hopefully, it will give us a little assistance now."

"Appreciated." He went back to staring at the tabletop while she prepared the tea. The silence was nice, as he was usually talking up a storm. Taking advantage of having no one else around, she closed her eyes and relaxed against the counter.

Just those few minutes of silence went a long way in helping her head clear some. When the kettle whistled to let her know it was ready, she quickly yanked it up off the burner to silence it. Then she expertly prepared two mugs of tea, adding a little bit of honey to each.

Once done, she made her way to the table and sat down across from him, sliding the second mug in his direction.

He took it with a mumbled thanks. Cupping it between his hands, he lifted it to his nose and deeply inhaled the fragrant steam.

Raven froze, watching him with something close to wonder. The sight of him with one of her mugs, drinking her tea… It tightened her chest and filled her with an emotion she wasn't familiar with. She couldn't even place it. But there was something just so…alluring about the sight.

He was so goofy most of the time that she often forgot that underneath he had a serious side. He'd grown up and become someone she felt comfortable with, and she didn't have many people she could say this about. Moments like this, where they just sat in each other's company without the need to force things, it made her look at him in a different light. Maybe wanting to spend more time with him wasn't as crazy as she'd originally thought.

He caught her staring and offered a weak smile.

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, she forced herself to focus on her own tea. Gawking at him wasn't productive. Taking a careful sip, she muddled over the thoughts swirling around in her head. She wasn't used to expressing emotions or having heart to heart conversations, but she felt the need to say at least _something_. This was a pivotal moment, and she didn't want to just let it pass her up as she had done so many times in the past.

"Beast Boy…"

He remained silently curled over his mug, but he focused his jade eyes on her.

Taking that as consent to continue, she took a deep breath. "Last night…" She shook her head, giving a derisive exhale. "Last night was so completely irresponsible. And dangerous. And…stupid. I can't believe you got me drunk. Without my consent. Your actions throughout the evening were entirely inappropriate. And as I mentioned earlier, it was completely irresponsible…"

She watched his ears droop in shame, watched him eye her warily.

"We should do it again some time."

He stared at her blankly for a moment, before his eyes widened. "What?"

She smiled ever so slightly. "We should do it again. Not the drinking part. But the…hanging out. I actually…" She fought with the admission. "I had fun." And she didn't do fun very often. Last night had been irresponsible, sure, but she'd had more fun with him the previous evening than she'd probably ever had in her entire life.

She'd been lectured over and over again by Robin that she was free of her father, that she was allowed to _feel_ , to enjoy her life. She just hadn't known how. The start of her relationship with Beast Boy had been rocky at best, and he was the least likely person for her to feel a bond with, but, somehow, he'd managed to helped her feel less…uptight. She felt with practice, she might actually have fun hanging out with him. Sure, he was bound to annoy the crap out of her much of the time, but when he wasn't…

" _Yeah_?" he asked, delight in his voice. His ears perked up and his expression brightened. "I had fun too. I mean, not the hangover part, but the rest. We should definitely hang out again." He took a gulp of his tea before eagerly pressing on. "Did you want to go play laser tag? Or go to one of those bounce places with the trampolines? Or—"

"How about we keep it simple," she offered. "Maybe…maybe the two of us could go get pizza together sometime."

"Pizza! Yeah, that sounds great!"

Smiling into her mug, she nodded. Pizza did sound great.

 _If you like my writing, check out my stuff on Amazon. The first book in my Dating Tutor series was on their Best Seller list for two years after its release! Super proud of that!_

 _Dating-Tutor-Melissa-Frost-ebook/dp/B00F55KBEU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8 &qid=1538586894&sr=8-9&keywords=melissa+frost_


	2. Chapter 2: Thanksgiving and Pizza

_Thanks for all of the amazing feedback! Excited to see so many BBRae fans out there like myself._

Thanksgiving and Pizza

Beast Boy was trying to get himself some dinner. _Trying_ was the key word. He was also trying to mind his own business and stay out of the argument raging around him.

"I wish to have Glorrk served at our dinner of the Thanksgiving!" Starfire yelled, her eyes blazing with anger. "It is a traditional Tamaranean dish!"

"Nobody likes your alien food, Star," Cyborg shot back, just as hotly. "I'm not giving up pumpkin pie just so you can force that garbage on us. No way! I put up with it any other time of the year, but not on Thanksgiving. That's where I draw the line."

"Guys! Guys!" Robin yelled, holding his hands out placatingly. "Can't we compromise? We can—"

"Oh, don't even get me started on you, Mr. Cranberry Sauce," Cyborg accused, turning his ire on Robin.

Starfire jumped onboard, ganging up on their fearless leader. "Yes. Cranberry sauce is the disgusting."

"Hey!" Robin said, jumping to his own defense. "Cranberry sauce is a traditional—"

"And Glorrk is _not_?" Starfire screeched.

Beast Boy's ears lowered toward his head in pain. This was one of those times he wasn't so thrilled with his super hearing. His face screwed up in a grimace, he tried to focus on the refrigerator's contents.

"You're taking me out of context!" Robin hollered.

At the counter to Beast Boy's right, Raven flinched and her hand tightened into a fist on its surface. Apparently, he wasn't the only one affected by the heated argument. He should have realized that, seeing as the empath was always sensitive to others' emotions. And, right now, they were raging around the kitchen like a wildfire.

Giving up on dinner, he turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "Wanna go get that pizza?" A few weeks ago, she'd offered for them to get dinner together, to hang out just the two of them. But that had yet to happen.

Sure, they hadn't officially gone out, but she'd been socializing with him a lot more in recent weeks. At least he swore it was more than usual. It was hard to tell if it was more often or just his imagination, because he'd become hyper aware of her any time she was in his vicinity. He didn't have to even be facing a room's entrance to know when she'd entered. The vanilla scent of her perfume was ingrained into his senses. He knew when she was coming before she even hit the doorway.

Getting drunk with her on Halloween had obviously thrown him more than he wished to admit. He'd always been attracted to her, but after that night… Well, it was one thing to casually flirt with someone he knew he had zero chance with. But when there was a possibility his attraction might be reciprocated…

Recently, she'd begun sitting next to him on movie nights. She'd started coming into the living room to read at the window next to the couch where he sat instead of holing up in her room. She'd been talking to him more, asking him to play chess more. She'd even started training with him, something they'd never done in the past. No, it wasn't just him. She was different after that night, too.

Brought on by thoughts of that evening, an image flickered through his mind and he had to hold his breath to steady himself. Raven in that Princess Leia costume was forever burned into his mind. Of all the costumes she could have picked, why that one?! It was a costume designed with the sole purpose of toying with the hormones of teenaged boys. No guy his age could look at that outfit and _not_ get turned on.

Then she'd danced with him. She'd pressed her curvaceous backside into his groin and rocked back against him. Over and over again. He'd had half an erection, something that would have mortified him had he not accidentally been drunk.

It was no wonder he couldn't get her out of his mind. She'd awakened a desire in him he wasn't sure how to control. Every time he looked at her—

"Are you all right?" she asked, her brows lifting.

"Me?" he squeaked. "Yeah. Yeah, of course I'm all right. Why do you ask?" Even the dry, monotone sound of her voice sent a chill down his spine. The effect she suddenly had on him was rather alarming.

"Because I said yes about three times," she said, irritation leaking into her voice. "Do you want to get pizza or not?"

He nodded frantically, trying to cover up his awkward thoughts. There was no way in hell he was about to admit he'd been fantasizing about her in her Halloween costume. "Sure! Pizza sounds great."

She stared at him for a moment longer, as if waiting for him to do something else weird. Then she shrugged. "Okay. Let me go get ready." With that, she turned and walked out of the room.

 _Get ready?_ What exactly did she need to get ready? Panic welled up inside of him as he wondered if there was anything _he_ needed to get ready.

He knew he was thinking too deeply on her every word. He had been ever since that night. He couldn't seem to stop himself from looking for hidden meanings in everything she said.

But he had to think realistically. She wasn't getting ready as if this was a date. It wasn't. It was just the two of them getting out of the Tower because their teammates were driving them crazy with their bickering. Nothing more to it than that.

Even so… Rushing to his room, he threw open his closet and scavenged inside for something presentable to wear. Awkwardly tugging off his uniform, he tossed it to the bed before donning a pair of jeans. He added a button-up dress shirt in a baby blue.

Rushing to his bathroom, he studied himself in the mirror. _Definitely too fancy._ Racing back out to his room, he snatched a hoodie out of his closet with a logo for one of his favorite video games emblazoned across the chest. He tugged it on and zipped it all the way up, hiding the dress shirt beneath it.

There! He was casual on the outside, but still had the option for a dressier attire if she came out of her room looking dressed for a date. "It's just pizza," he told himself with annoyance. He needed to stop letting memories of Halloween affect his judgement. There was absolutely no way Raven actually thought about him like that…right?

A knock sounded at his door and it whooshed open to reveal Raven on the other side. "You ready?" she asked.

His gaze immediately went to her outfit. He'd been right to guess civilian attire, as they weren't going out on a mission. She wore a simple black skater dress that he knew she enjoyed wearing like a top. Underneath it she had on black leggings. Her sockless feet were adorned in modest black flats.

Her outfit told him nothing. She could be dressed for a date or a casual dinner out with a friend. The midline attire could tip to any side given different circumstances. _This isn't a date_ , he silently scolded himself. Then realizing he needed to answer her, he nodded. "I'm ready."

She turned slightly so he could see the plain black bookbag strapped to her back. "I've got my uniform in here. In case we get called while we're out. Want me to carry yours as well?"

Embarrassed that he hadn't even thought of that, he grabbed his crumpled uniform from his bed and made his way over to her. When she offered him her back, he unzipped the bag and stuffed his uniform inside.

In his movements, his knuckles brushed the back of her neck and he felt her shiver at the contact. Before he could stop himself, he thought about the last time he'd been behind her like this. They'd been on a dance floor and they'd been doing a lot more touching then.

Shit. He was a wreck. All it took was one little shiver from her—one probably produced because he'd simply tickled her with his knuckles—and his hormones were shoving to the forefront again. He needed to get ahold of himself.

Zipping her pack back up, he spun her around to face him. "Ready."

She stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm.

He almost backtracked, his heart suddenly racing, but then he noticed the swirl of black energy that signaled the use of her powers. She was teleporting them to the pizza shop. It wasn't some act of intimacy. He should have known that immediately. This was Raven, after all.

He forced his tense muscles to relax. She was an empath. If he kept letting his emotions bounce around like this, she was going to pick up on his unease and call off their dinner. As confused as he was, he didn't want that. Whether it was a date or simply dinner between friends, he still wanted to spend time with her.

So when they appeared in the alley behind the pizza shop they frequented, he shot her a bright smile, even if it was a little forced.

She merely arched a brow at him and headed around the corner.

He smiled at this, this one more genuine. Had it been anyone else this might be a concerning response, but with Raven, it was a reassurance that she was still cool. Loping along behind her, he followed her into the shop.

They made their way to a booth in the back where the team often sat and slid across from each other on the vinyl bench seats. Raven picked up a menu, but he didn't bother. He ordered the same thing every time—vegetarian. This place was very good about making sure there was no cross contamination on his slices from what the other Titans ordered, even if it was on the same pizza. It was a big reason why they came here.

Placing down her menu, Raven pushed it away. "I'll just have what you're having."

His brows rose at this. "You're going to eat a vegetarian pizza?"

She chuckled lightly, her low, soft Raven laugh. "I do like vegetables from time to time." She shrugged a shoulder. "Peppers, onion, whatever." She crinkled her nose. "Just no mushroom please."

He grinned, enjoying the fact that she was willing to eat something that fit with his diet. Not that he minded at all if she ate a meat lovers pizza, but it was nice not to be teased for his preferences for once. "And here I was considering mushroom, extra mushroom."

"Don't be cheeky," she said, but the hint of a smile touched her lips.

He grinned down at his hands, not wishing to push her too far, but he was pretty much confirmed in the fact that she found him funny. No matter how much she might protest it.

As they settled in, she let out a long sigh. "The others are driving me crazy this week. They're decidedly annoying about this whole Thanksgiving thing."

He beamed at this. He knew he shouldn't, but he was most often the one she was describing when she spoke of things being annoying. It was nice to not be on the receiving end for once. He liked being on her good side. "You're telling me." He pointed at his tipped ears. "Sensitive hearing, remember? I thought Starfire was going to deafen me."

Raven laughed, her purple eyes dancing in amusement.

Before either could say anything else, the waitress appeared. They quickly put in for an order of a small veggie pizza, and the waitress disappeared.

As she left, the jovial mood seemed go with her. Raven was staring at the tabletop, tapping her still wrapped straw against its surface. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but she spoke first.

"Speaking of our earlier topic…I'm thinking of skipping Thanksgiving dinner."

Silence fell after her proclamation. He waited a long minute for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he opened his mouth, gave a little sigh, and then shook his head. "What sort of reaction are you looking for from me?"

She tapped more insistently at the tabletop, until the straw bent. Frowning, she dropped it and placed her palm flat against the table. Looking up at him, holding eye contact, she said, "Anger? Outrage? Disappointment?"

He remained silent, trying to formulate a reply that wouldn't annoy her. Finally, he said, "Of course I'm disappointed. I enjoy spending time with you. We all do." She rolled her eyes at this, but he pressed on. "I'm disappointed you won't be there. But if it's something you feel strongly about…" When she didn't say anything else, he placed his own palms down on the table and stared at her. "Can I ask why?"

Her eyes slipped away from his and she let out a little sigh. "I just think it's stupid."

"You said that about Halloween too."

"Halloween _is_ stupid," she admitted with a wry little smile. "All holidays in fact. I just…" She wrung her fingers together nervously. "I hate when Robin pushes us to do these things. I guess I just don't see the point."

Unable to watch her twist her fingers so painfully, he reached out and placed his much larger gloved hand over hers. "Does there need to be one?"

She rolled her eyes again and let out a soft sigh. "I guess my issue is that holidays are a family thing. It's about gathering with relatives and wanting to spend time together. And we…" She shook her head with a derisive snort. "Well, I don't really have a family to speak of. So holidays just seem like a cruel reminder of the fact that I'm alone."

She tried to slide her hand out from under his, but he tightened his grip. "You aren't alone," he said in a moment of rare seriousness.

"I don't have a family."

"You do." He squeezed her hand. "Listen, I get it. I do. My dad wasn't a demon seeking to destroy the world, but…" He shook his head with a weary sigh. "Let's just say it wasn't the easiest thing growing up for me either. I never truly felt at home, like who I was meant to be. Not until Robin invited me to be a part of the Titans. And sure, Starfire's got blood relatives, but look at them. Blackfire only cares about herself and emotionally damages Star any time she makes an appearance. Starfire would much rather spend her holidays with us. Vic? He lost his mom in the accident that changed him into who he is now. He never felt like he _belonged_ after that, not until he found his way here. And Robin's a lost little orphan just like the rest of us. He's got nobody either. Nobody but us."

He paused, letting all of that sink in. None of them had been given great backstories. It seemed to be part of what being a super hero was about. "So I understand how you feel. Outside of that Tower, I don't have anywhere else I would call home. But that's the point of why Robin pushes these things. It isn't team building, though that's what he calls it. It's family building." He shrugged a shoulder sheepishly. "You guys are my family."

And right there was a big reason for much of his guilt. Raven was like family to him. The last thing he should be doing is drooling over how soft and curvy she was, how good it felt to have her backside pressed up against him.

He flushed, unable to stop the reaction. Even when he was trying to chastise himself for such thoughts, his mind kept wandering to how _good_ it had all felt. He lifted his eyes back to hers. "I get that what I just said was super cheesy and lame, but—"

"No. It wasn't cheesy. It was exactly what I needed to hear." She fell silent and stared at him from across the table. Finally, she opened her mouth to say something else, but the waitress chose that moment to arrive with their pizza.

Raven let out a soft, derisive chuckle, as if happy the waitress had interrupted whatever she'd been about to say, as if it might be something she would have regretted later. She extricated her hand from his and sat back in her seat so the waitress could place the pizza down in front of them.

Once the woman had walked away, Raven leaned forward and pulled a piece of pizza onto the small plate in front of her. "You know, every time I think you're all practical jokes and foolery, you say something profound and remind me there's substance buried under that goofy surface."

He shot her a crooked grin as he grabbed his own slice of pizza. "Just don't tell anyone. I would hate for that information to get out."

She laughed lightly before taking a delicate bite of pizza.

He watched her chew, his eyes fixated on her mouth. _Family_ , he reminded himself. Thinking about what it would be like to kiss those lips was wrong. That also meant that Princess Leia sex fantasies were completely inappropriate. He forced his eyes away from her lips and up to her eyes. "So you'll come to dinner then?"

She swallowed, then took an exaggeratedly long sip from her drink. Finally, lowering her glass back to the table, she slowly nodded. "Sure. I guess I'll come."

"Good." He took another large bite of pizza. Talking around the food in his mouth, he added, "It wouldn't be the same without you there."

She rolled her eyes at his lack of table manners, but there was a slight smile on her face. It was exactly why he'd done it, to ease the seriousness of the conversation.

"Just don't ask me to eat Glork," she said with the hint of a smile.

"Oh, definitely not." He took a large swallow of his drink. "I'm not exactly sure what's in it, but I just use the vegan excuse for most of Star's cooking. It's convenient."

"Extremely," she said dryly.

Then the pair of them burst into laughter.

OOOOO

"I can't believe we ate that entire pizza," Raven said, pushing her empty plate away from her.

"You underestimate my appetite," he responded with a chuckle. He popped the last piece of crust into his mouth just as the waitress returned.

"How am I splitting this up?" she asked, waving a small slip of paper she held between her fingers.

"Split the bill in half, please," Raven said, reaching toward her bag for her wallet.

Beast Boy forced down the rough piece of crust, nearly choking on it. "No." He waved toward the waitress and the small slip. "Give it to me. I'm paying."

"Beast Boy," Raven said with impatience.

"I'm paying," he said firmly. "I asked you out to dinner, I'm paying." He reached into the pocket of his jeans, trying not to think too closely on his wording. "Asked her out to dinner" sounded an awful lot like a date. This wasn't a date…right? Right! It was just dinner between friends. Nothing more.

Shaking his head at his wandering thoughts, he pulled out his wallet. It felt almost odd. He was so often in uniform that being in civilian clothes felt peculiar. He handed over a twenty dollar bill. It would more than cover the twelve dollar pizza and drinks. "Keep the rest."

The waitress nodded, took the money from his hand, and walked off.

At Raven's expression, he rolled his eyes. "It's pizza, Raven. Not a new sports car."

Her expression relented and she offered an amused smirk. "Was there a sports car on the table? Why didn't I get that option before I settled for pizza?"

"Because I know the true way to your heart is through your stomach." The second the words were out of his mouth, he flinched. Why had he said that? _Why?_ He didn't want her thinking he was trying to find his way into her heart. Even if he _was_ , he wouldn't actually do it with pizza. Even he wasn't dumb enough to think that would work.

Raven didn't seem to notice his panic. "You're not wrong there. I guess I'm not like most girls."

"No. You're not."

His words hung in the air, and he wanted to kick himself. Why did he keep saying things like this? It was like the more he tried to remind himself that Raven was like a sister to him, the more he wanted to fight against that assessment.

She took pity on him and changed the subject. "I'm really not looking forward to going back to the Tower. I'm not sure we've been gone long enough for the yelling to have quieted down."

His ears perked up at her comment, and then he made a pointed effort to lower them. On Halloween, when she'd been drunk, Raven had confessed that she found his ears to be cute. Ever since, he'd been self-consciously watching every movement he made with them. He liked that there was something about him she liked, but at the same time, she'd told him in confidence. He didn't want to make her feel embarrassed by being too obvious with his "ear flirting"…if there was such a thing. He'd become acutely of his ears, and it was making him a little crazy. "If you don't want to go back yet, there's this little ice cream shop a few blocks away. We could walk down there and get dessert."

"That sounds nice." Picking up her bag, she slung it over her shoulder and slid from the booth.

He followed her to the door, pleased that they were continuing their evening out together.

As soon as they started down the sidewalk, he noticed that the temperature had dropped considerably since they'd eaten. He also noticed her little shiver.

As he walked, he shrugged out of his hoodie. "Here." Grabbing the small loop at the top of her backpack, he tugged it down her shoulders. Once it was free, he handed her the sweatshirt.

She stared blankly at the fabric in her hands. "I'm fine," she said in her usual monotone.

"You're shivering."

Her eyes traveled over his now exposed dress shirt. "Won't you be cold?"

"Nah. I'll be fine." He offered her a lopsided grin. "If I get chilly, I'll just turn into something with fur."

She rolled her eyes, but slipped her arm into the sleeve.

He watched her pull it up her shoulders before reaching out toward her. "Here. Let me. The zipper sticks. It's one of my favorites, so I can't bear to get rid of it…" Tugging at just the right angle, he drew the zipper up. He stopped as it reached her breasts, pausing. "Is that good?" He wasn't about to zip her all the way up to her chin. It wasn't _that_ cold.

"It's very good."

Something in her tone had his gaze flitted up to hers. He hadn't even thought twice about offering her his jacket, but as he stared at her bundled up in his clothing, the too-long sleeves falling over her fingertips, his stomach somersaulted. _Just friends. Just friends._ Seeing her in his hoodie brought out a very primal instinct in him. He could feel the Beast beneath the surface, proclaiming her to be _theirs_. Just. Friends. Just. Friends. The words ticked through his mind in time with his beating heart.

Her lips quirked in amusement, and he wondered if she was reading him, using her empath powers to discover just how scrambled she had his head right now. "Raven…"

Her communicator beeped, saving him from having to form a sentence. He was grateful, as he had no clue what he would have said. She stepped away from him and had to push the sleeve of the jacket up so she could get to her wrist.

As she spoke to Robin, he paced in a small, tight circle. He needed to get himself together. They were just two friends who'd gone out together for pizza. Sure, he'd paid. And yeah, she was wearing his jacket. But it didn't _mean_ anything. This was Raven. _Raven._

She didn't have thoughts like that. At least not about him.

"Well, looks like we're going out on a mission."

He snapped back to attention. "Where are we meeting the others?"

"We aren't," she said with a little shrug. "It's just us."

"Really?" he asked, arching his brows in surprise.

"Yeah. Robin said Mumbo stole some priceless artifact from the local museum. From what I understand, he believes it can summon some type of fortune demon from another dimension." She offered a little growl of annoyance at this. She always took it personally when demons were involved.

"Mumbo is currently across town causing a bit of havoc at one of the banks. Robin and the others are going to round him up, quiet him down. While they do that, we're breaking into his storage building and getting back the artifact."

"Oh…cool."

Sure," she drawled. Then looking around, she said, "We need to find somewhere to change."

He nodded, craning his neck to check out their surroundings. Though he was easily recognizable with his green skin, they were in civilian clothes. People usually left them alone when they were out and about, living like everyone else. But the moment they stepped out in their super hero gear…the fangirls flocked. If they wanted to get to where they were going without drawing attention or being delayed, discretion was probably a good idea. That meant marching into a store or restaurant to change into their gear was out. Besides, even if it didn't draw fans, them hurriedly changing into uniform could cause panic. It would mean there was a potential emergency in the area, and people tended to get concerned about that.

"There," he said, pointing. "That warehouse." It was a storage facility for paper products. There was a sole worker walking along the outside, unloading a pallet full of printer reams. "We can sneak in when his back is turned, get changed, and get out of here."

Raven nodded her approval, and with light, soundless steps, she hurried across the sidewalk and down a short alley until she reached the building that took up a large chunk of real estate.

Luck was on their side and the worker was now on his phone. He had his back to the building and was busy with whatever conversation he was having. He'd also left the door propped open.

The pair slipped inside unnoticed.

Beast Boy stood guard, watching the door while Raven rummaged in her bag for their uniforms. She had just nearly gotten them untangled when he heard a noise approaching the door. It appeared their luck had run out. The man had finished his phone conversation and was headed in their direction.

"Time's up," Beast Boy hissed under his breath. Grabbing Raven's elbow, he yanked her quickly in the direction of the first door he saw. Unfortunately, it was a tiny little closet. The moment the door closed behind them, they were engulfed in darkness.

Realizing he'd been a bit rash, he was glad she couldn't see his blush. "Sorry. The guy was coming and…"

"It's fine," she said calmly. "I wasn't about to change out in the open anyway. You might be okay with it, but public nudity isn't on my list of things I enjoy."

He chuckled lightly at this, accepting the accusation easily. Being a shapeshifter, he sometimes forwent clothing. Animals had no need for pants. And on occasion, he'd found himself in his human form without a scrap of clothing to cover up with. He'd long since gotten over being embarrassed by it. Granted, he never _tried_ to be caught nude, but if it happened, he shrugged it off. "Point taken."

Raven fumbled in the dark for a moment before cloth was shoved into his hand. "Here," she said. "Get dressed."

"In _here_?"

"Why not?" she asked distractedly.

"Together?"

He heard her impatient sigh. "It's dark. And we're on a schedule. Stop being weird and just get dressed."

Beast Boy gulped nervously. Sure, it was dark, but he kind of had a little bit of night vision. It came with the animal abilities. He knew it was probably pitch black to her and she couldn't see a thing, but _he_ could. Sure, it was muted and lacked color, but he could clearly make out the pale flesh of her upper body as she tugged her shirt up over her head. Her bra was dark, either purple or black.

With a little yelp, he turned his back, his heart pounding in his chest. Okay, he couldn't say anything about his night vision _now_. Not after… He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to erase the sight of her bare skin from his memory. _Shit._ It wasn't working.

Feeling unbelievably self-conscious, he undid the buttons of his shirt. Every sound behind him was a reminder that Raven was getting _naked_. His face burning with embarrassment at their situation, he tried to distract himself with thoughts of their mission. _Mumbo. The artifact. Breaking and entering. Raven's bra. Shit. A_ month ago, this wouldn't have even phased him. Now, he was acting like a kid who just hitting puberty. Girls hadn't affected him like this since before he was twelve.

Moving as quickly as possible, he tugged down his jeans and kicked them to the side. Then he hurried into his uniform, stepping his feet in and yanking it up over his hips. They were so close in the small closet that his elbow bumped her waist, and at one point she backed up into him. They were far too close for his comfort.

He was just stuffing his arms into the sleeves of his uniform, when Raven spoke.

"Zip this for me?"

His heart about stopped in his throat as he slowly turned to face her. She had her back to him, offering up the zipper on the back of her costume.

"I can barely lift my arms in here. I can't reach the zipper."

His face grew hot as he gaped at the pale expanse of exposed flesh at her back. He knew he couldn't say no, as that would just make things weirder. But there was something very intimate about zipping up the back of her uniform. With trembling fingers, he eased up the zipper. He was halfway finished when the amusement in her voice during her request sank in.

Amusement. From Raven.

"You're messing with me." He should have realized that immediately. Even if she couldn't reach in the dark, she often used her powers to move things anyway. She could have simply done that if she couldn't get her uniform zipped.

"I'm messing with you," she confirmed. "I could feel the anxiety wafting off of you, and it was driving me crazy." She stepped away from him once he had her zipper up and lifted her cloak from her bag. "We're just changing for a mission, Garfield. We've done stuff like this before. Relax."

He frowned, choosing not to comment. Sometimes he hated how easily she could read him. Surely, she had to realize how messed up his head was since last month. It wasn't like he was very good at hiding it.

"If I was trying to get you alone and naked in the dark for reasons beyond our mission, it wouldn't be here in this dirty closet," she said in her usual monotone.

He sucked in a sharp gasp and lifted his gaze to her face. She still looked amused, and he wasn't sure what to think about that. Was she making fun of him? Because of his suddenly unrestrainable feelings for her? If she was, it was a rather cruel joke.

Or was there a chance she liked him too and this was Raven's attempt at flirting? He didn't even want to think about that. He was already having enough problems dealing with what was going on in his own head. He didn't need to add what she was thinking to that mess.

Laughing at his stunned silence, she bent and scooped his discarded clothing into her bag. Then straightening, she stepped in close to him and grabbed his hand. Placing it on her hip, she teleported them.

Beast Boy's head swam for a moment as his vision was engulfed by true darkness, the kind even he couldn't see through. He wasn't afraid though. Raven had teleported him more than a few times, and he trusted her. So he waited out the odd sensation, and sure enough, a moment later, they touched down in the back alley outside the building Mumbo used as his "evil lair".

She remained close for a moment, staring up at him. It was almost as if she expected him to do _something_ , but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what. After the silence stretched a beat too long, she sighed and took a step back.

His hand fell away from her waist and he flexed his fingers nervous. When had he become so incredibly bad at this? He usually knew where he stood with women, and he'd never before had trouble telling when one was interested in him. But Raven? She was an enigma, one he couldn't figure out.

"Come on," she said quietly and he couldn't help but feel almost like he'd disappointed her somehow. "We have an artifact to recover."

OOOOO

Beast Boy stared into the room where the museum's artifact was being kept. The space was otherwise empty, with a small dais at the back. The item appeared to be some type of stone or gem. It sat out in the open, easily obtainable.

He started forward, but Raven suddenly reached out and grabbed onto his arm. "Stop," she hissed.

He turned to give her a look of surprise. "What? Let's get this thing and get out of here."

She shook her head. "Did you not listen to anything Robin said?" He was pretty sure she knew he hadn't, but he wasn't about to admit he hadn't been paying attention, so he waited for her to explain. "Security lasers," she added impatiently, pointing to faint red lighting that dominated much of the room.

"Easy," he said confidently. "I'll just turn into a bird and—"

"No!" Her eyes flashed with irritation. "Once again, Robin explained the particular security of this room. At least I paid attention to Cyborg's hard research." She arched a challenging brow at him, but he merely shrugged.

Sighing, she continued. "Mumbo attempted to make this room "Titan proof". He used some type of magic spell on it. If anyone uses magic, an alarm is triggered. If anyone uses powers, an alarm is triggered. You bump one of the red lasers—"

"I get it. An alarm is triggered."

"Precisely." She eyed the laser beams warily. "This is something that is going to have to happen manually."

Rolling his shoulders, he nodded. "Okay. So I go in and—"

" _I_ go in," she corrected. "In animal form, you can move rather gracefully. In Garfield form…" She trailed off, her eyes traveling down his body. "I've seen you trip over your own feet before."

"Hey!" She wasn't exactly wrong, but when he put his mind to it, he could be stealthy. He was sure he was capable of getting the job done if need be. Still, with all of her meditating, Raven had immense control and patience. They both knew she was the better choice for the job. "Fine," he grumbled. "What am I supposed to do while you're busy being James Bond?"

"Seriously, were you listening at all?"

"We've already established I wasn't. So fill me in."

She rolled her eyes but continued. "Mumbo hired two guards to walk the building. It isn't that big, so there's probably no chance I finish this before they make their rounds. When they show up, take them out." She raised a warning finger. "But remember, no turning into animals. No powers. You'll have to find some way to take them out as is. _Before_ they trigger the alarm."

"Not sure you could sound less confident in my fighting skills," he grumbled.

"I could," she said with a hint of a smile as she unclasped her cloak and gathered the material in her arms. "I was giving you the most positivity I could possibly muster."

"Oh har har—" His mocking laughter broke off suddenly as she dropped her cloak to the top of her bag. All words left him as he stared at her in uniform without her cloak. He'd never realized just how much it covered her, how much it hid. Sure, he'd caught glimpses, but nothing like this.

She didn't nearly have the height of Starfire, but Raven's legs were long. Her uniform left a stretch of muscled, alabaster flesh bare to his view. Her breasts were ample; she definitely had Star beat in that department…not that he ever looked at Starfire's chest. It was bad enough he couldn't keep his eyes from straying to Raven's. Her uniform—void of the cape—outlined just how well-endowed she was.

He swallowed thickly, averting his gaze. _Just friends. Just friends._ How many times would he have to remind himself of that today? When he looked back, she had turned to face the obstacle of lasers. And that was when he realized just how high cut the back of her uniform was. He could see the hint of the globes of her butt, and the sight taunted him. There was no way she wore anything other than a thong under that thing. He gave a pained groaned and turned his back on her. He gazed up at the ceiling, trying to distract himself from thinking about the alluring sight behind him.

"Beast Boy."

Her voice drew him back, and he reluctantly turned to face her. "Yeah?"

She was about to head into the maze of lasers. As he flitted his gaze over the shining red lights, he realized why she'd ditched her cloak. It would flutter about, getting in her way. She needed to be as stealthy as possible.

"Make sure you take care of those guards. We don't want Mumbo aware of what we're doing." With that, she headed into the lasers. She stepped easily over the first one in her path. But next one sat at elbow height, and there was another near her knees. She lifted one leg over the one at her knees, then bent and ducked under the one at her shoulders. She looked like one of those wrestling divas he sometimes ogled when they got into the ring. It was an even more pleasant sight with Raven as the star. Lifting her other leg over the laser near her knee, she paused to catch her balance.

He took this as his cue to turn his back again. If he kept watching her, it would lead to nothing good. He wasn't looking to repeat the embarrassment of Halloween. Friends didn't repeatedly get erections around friends. He was pretty sure that would be viewed as rude.

Rocking on his heels, he listened for noises from her, but she moved rather soundlessly. So instead, he focused his attention on the door. The moment the guards showed, he wanted to be ready. He _needed_ to be ready.

He wanted to prove to himself that he could still function while being around Raven, that she wasn't in his head as much as he feared. And he kind of wanted to prove to her that he could handle himself in a fight without the ability to shapeshift. Sure, maybe the second part of his desires conflicted with the first, but he wasn't going to look too closely at that.

A shuffling sounded in the hallway beyond their room, drawing his attention. His ears lifted, straining to hear. He caught the sound of voices getting closer. Time to prove himself.

He crouched next to the door, waiting. The instant the men passed the doorway, he leapt. He grabbed the first man by the collar of his shirt and slammed him face first into the wall.

It was a perfectly timed blow and the man fell to the ground, unconscious.

One down, one to go.

"What the—"

Before the other man could fully get his sentence out, Beast Boy brought an elbow back into his chest, effectively knocking the wind out of him. When the man buckled over, the changeling grabbed a fistful of his hair.

He was about to bring his knee up into the man's forehead to knock him out, but he chose that moment to lift his eyes. He immediately wished he hadn't. At the same time, he wished he'd been looking the entire time.

Just as he lifted his gaze, Raven dropped sensually to the floor. He doubted that was what she was going for, but sexy it was. There was no denying it. She was on her hands and knees, her shoulder blades pressed back into her spine as she gazed at her next obstacle.

As he watched, she lowered her upper body to the floor, which effectively arched her backside up for his viewing while she slowly slid under a laser close to the floor.

It was like his entire brain glitched. He froze, unable to do anything but stare. Laser beam security was so cliché and lame. There were so many better things out there. He'd been silently mocking Mumbo for his choice—until now. Now, he was contemplating thanking the magician. He was going to have to send him a fruit basket to show his appreciation or something.

He gawked as Raven slid slowly under the red laser. He'd been trying so hard all day to be a good friend, to keep his thoughts appropriate. But his limits had just been reached. Any delusional thoughts that he wanted to be "just friends" with Raven went out the door. He didn't want to be just friends. He wanted to be the guy she pressed that delicious backside against when she danced. That being said, he had no idea what to do about that.

Raven suddenly climbed to her feet and shook her hair out of her face. Then she turned her purple gaze to him. "Beast Boy. What are you doing?" She motioned to the guard's head he still had clutched in his hands. "Knock him out already and stop screwing around."

Beast Boy blinked, slowly coming back to his senses. "Yeah… I was just…" Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he brought his knee up roughly into the man's forehead.

The guard collapsed to the floor at his feet, his eyes rolling back in his head.

Beast Boy smirked proudly. Even though he'd been thoroughly distracted, he'd taken out the guards without even breaking a sweat. And he hadn't let them sound an alarm.

Raven rolled her eyes as she reached out for the artifact. Lifting it up from the pillow it rested on, she lifted it up. "Catch."

The stone came soaring at him and Beast Boy snatched it out of the air.

"Now, tie those two up and lean them against the wall while I come back through this maze," she ordered.

He was glad for the distraction. He could not watch her maneuver through the lasers again. He wouldn't survive it. Turning back to the unconscious men, he pulled zip tie cuffs from a pocket in his uniform and bent down.

Keeping his back to Raven, he maneuvered the first guard's arms behind his back and restrained his wrists. Leaning him carefully against the wall, he then moved on to the second man.

He was just finishing up with the second guard when a hand touched his shoulder.

"You ready?" Raven asked lightly as she picked up her cloak and slipped it back over her shoulders.

Beast Boy slid the man against the wall so he wouldn't be too uncomfortable when he woke. Then he climbed to his feet. "Yeah. We should get back." He was disappointed their evening out together had been interrupted, but at the same time, he didn't think he could spend any more time with her right now. He needed to figure some things out first.

She cocked her head to the side, staring at him thoughtfully. Then she shrugged and picked up her bag. Reaching a hand out to him, she teleported them back to Titan's Tower.

OOOOO

Beast Boy popped a bite of roll into his mouth and looked around the table at his friends. Thanksgiving dinner was in full swing. The table was laden with food—including Glorrk, cranberry sauce, _and_ pumpkin pie. There was way too much food, but everyone had gotten what they wanted, and everyone was happy.

Starfire had the brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face as she scooped more Glorrk onto her plate. She leaned over toward Robin, whispering to him, and he smiled.

Cyborg was cutting himself another slice of ham and talking animatedly to Raven about some new improvement he'd put in the T-Car. His face was lit up in excitement, and there was a small smile on her lips as she listened.

Beast Boy grinned, pleased with how the evening had turned out, pleased Raven had shown up. He'd been telling the truth—it wouldn't have been the same without her.

Robin chose this moment to climb to his feet. "Titans." He placed his hands on his hips, staring at each of them in turn. "Let us not forget the most important part of our dinner. We should go around and each say what we're thankful for."

Beast Boy expected a groan from Raven, but instead she shot a sly glance in his direction and offered a small smile. He arched a brow in surprise, and she simply shook her head.

Robin started them off. "I'm thankful for another successful year of defending Jump City from crime. This city depends on us. The citizens depend on us. And this team never lets them down." He gave a moment's pause for everyone to absorb his words, then he waved a hand to the woman beside him. "Star, your turn."

She bobbed her head, her hands clutched to her chest in joy. "Thank you, Robin." She beamed at him before continuing. "I am thankful for this delightful planet. Everyone here has been so welcoming and wonderful to me. Even when I do not understand things at times, all of you are very patient with me. I appreciate this very, very much. It makes me feel more at home here, like I actually belong."

Robin returned her smile and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. There was no mistaking his look of affection. He quickly recovered, though, and shifted his gaze to Cyborg.

The biggest Titan paused for a moment before a grin spread across his face. "I would say I'm thankful for the difference we've been able to make this year. And I don't just mean fighting crime. Being a hero isn't just about stopping villains. It's about making a difference in the day to day lives of people." He smiled. "We helped raise money to build that children's center this year. Raven and Starfire spent time at the women's shelter volunteering their time and gathering donations. I feel like we've really mattered to the community this year."

Starfire placed a hand to her heart and made a cooing sound. "That was the beautiful."

"Thanks, Star." Cyborg offered her a playful wink before training his gaze expectantly on Raven.

Robin raised a brow at Raven. The expression on his face blatantly stated he expected her to be reluctant to share.

Instead, she shot Beast Boy a quick, subtle smile. Then she spoke. "I'm thankful that I had a friend who reminded me what the holidays are really about. I'd kind of lost my way." She stopped, and he thought she was finished, but then she continued. "I'm thankful that even though I don't have a blood family to celebrate with, I have you guys. You're my family. And I'm beyond grateful for that."

Everyone's eyes at the table had widened, all of them staring at Raven as if she'd grown a second head. Beast Boy frowned. Raven was so closed off when it came to her emotions. If they made a big deal about it when she did open up, she wouldn't do it again.

Wanting to take the focus off of her, he blurted out, "I'm thankful for Raven's uniform." He'd wanted to take the focus off of her, but the moment the words were out of his mouth, he felt mortification well up. That wasn't what he'd been going to say. He'd had something appropriate and somewhat sappy prepared. Instead, he'd gone and spouted off about the one thing he couldn't get off of his mind—Raven's scantily clad body.

"What?" Robin asked, his expression one of astonishment.

All eyes were suddenly on Beast Boy, but at least they were off of Raven.

He laughed sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his neck. Then, seeing the relief that flashed across Raven's face, he decided to just own it. He never did mind being the comic relief, especially when it saved someone else from unwanted attention. "I said I'm thankful for Raven's uniform. She took her cloak off yesterday afternoon and I had an unhindered view of—"

"Why am I not surprised?" Raven said dryly, cutting him off.

Starfire sent him a disapproving look. "You are the inappropriate."

"Well, what can I say…"

"You should be ashamed, dude," Cyborg said with a shake of his head.

Robin placed his hands on the table with a shake of his head. "Yes, well… Let's get some dessert, shall we?"

OOOOO

Forty-five minutes later, Beast Boy was sitting on the couch by himself. The others were still in the kitchen, picking at food and cleaning up. He'd excused himself to the quiet of the adjoining room to clear his head a bit. He could still hear them, loud and exuberant in the other room, and it made him smile.

He was eager to get back to them, but he just wanted a few minutes alone to think. It was something he found himself doing more and more often recently. He had a half demon to thank for that.

He would rejoin the others soon, though. They probably wouldn't even notice he was gone. It was only a couple of much needed minutes…

So it was a surprise when a shadow fell over him. He hadn't expected anyone to come looking for him. It hadn't been long since he'd crept away, after all. His gaze lifted from the floor to find himself staring up at Raven.

She was holding two plates in her hand, each holding a generous slice of pumpkin pie. "Care if I join you?" she asked.

He blinked at her in surprise before nodding and motioning toward the spot beside him on the couch.

She eased down next to him before handing him over one of the plates.

He accepted it, lifting the fork to lick a dollop of whipped cream from its surface. With a sound of approval, he sent her a smile. "Thanks."

She nodded, staring silently at her slice of pie for a moment. "Thank _you_."

"For?" he asked curiously.

She took a delicate bite of pie before tilting her head to the side as she gazed at him. "I know what you did in there."

"Oh?" He kept his voice carefully neutral.

She sent him a dry look. "I know you purposely spouted at the mouth to take the focus off of me." She licked at her fork, drawing his attention to her mouth. "I appreciate it."

He swallowed thickly and nodded. "No problem. That's what friends are for."

"Friends?" She smirked in amusement at his choice of words. "Since when do friends check out each other's asses during missions?"

He choked on his next bite, pounding a fist against his chest. "You…you, uh, caught that, huh?"

"You weren't exactly subtle." She shook her head and took another bite of pie. "It's all right. I figure you did more good than bad yesterday." She shrugged a shoulder as she dipped her index finger into a glob of whipped cream and brought it to her lips.

He watched her suck on her finger, before forcing himself to avert his gaze until she was finished. He was fairly certain she'd been placed on this earth to torture him. "Yeah?" he asked, his tone pained.

"I'm serious," she said, lowering her plate to her lap, her expression becoming suddenly solemn. "I hated holidays. A lot." She smiled lightly. "You've made them…tolerable." Then with only a slight hesitation, she tucked her head in against his shoulder. Quietly, she took another bite of her pie.

He froze, surprised at the comfortable weight of her head leaning against him. "Glad I could be of some assistance."

She gave a small, intelligible mumble and took another bite of her pie.

Following her lead, he scooped up a bite of pie and popped it into his mouth. They remained silent, sitting against each other, simply enjoying the companionable quiet.

As his side warmed from having his teammate tucked so closely against it, he realized that there was no going back. He didn't want to be her friend anymore. He wanted more, and there was no sense denying it.

He might be the comedic relief of the group, something he'd thought would always stand in the way of her seeing who he was underneath, but that didn't mean he didn't have serious desires in life. It didn't mean he couldn't act like an adult when the situation called for it. It didn't mean he didn't have plans for the future. He did. And right now, those plans involved making sure the half demon next to him realized he wasn't just her friend. He was ready to be something more.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to get _her_ to admit she felt the same way. But until then, he was fine being the comic relief. Seeing her smile was one of his favorite things in the entire world. "And just so you know…I check out Robin's ass all the time during missions. Don't go thinking you're something special."

Silence fell for a moment. Then she burst into laughter, a snort issuing from her–an actual snort! "Beast Boy, you are terrible."

But despite her criticism, there was a smile on her face. And that was truly what he was grateful for, the fact that he'd learned how to make her smile—really smile. There wasn't anything else at the moment he wanted more than to simply see her happy.

A proud smirk on his lips, he took another bite of pie. He had a new life mission. He would get her to realize how he felt about her. And maybe, just maybe, she would feel the same in return.


	3. Chapter 3: Secret Santas and Mistletoe

Secret Santas and Mistletoe

Raven settled herself onto the couch, fitting into the middle seat between Starfire and Cyborg. Robin had called a mandatory meeting, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out for what. There hadn't been an alarm in three or four days. They had no major villains breathing down their necks. Jump City had been rather quiet recently. It was like the bad guys had decided to take some time off for the holiday too. "What's this about?" she asked.

Robin held up a finger and looked impatiently toward the doorway. "Wait until we're all here." He glanced at the time on his communicator, his lips pinching in disapproval.

Raven subtly glanced at her own communicator. Beast Boy was two minutes late. "In his defense, you just put out your mandatory meeting message ten minutes ago. He was probably still asleep."

Robin's annoyed glare slid in her direction. Not wanting to be the subject of his ire, she quickly added, "Not that he should still be in bed at this hour. It's after eleven." Since when did she come to Beast Boy's defense anyway? The thought filled her with irritation. She didn't defend others. Especially not Beast Boy. If he screwed up, it was on him to fix it.

As if thinking about him caused him to appear, Beast Boy staggered into the room looking half asleep. His hair was tousled and stuck up all over his head. He was in a wrinkled t-shirt and a baggy pair of pajama pants.

The sight of him sent her belly tumbling. He looked…cute. She frowned at this. She didn't think guys were cute either. Especially not Beast Boy. Though as she frowned at him, she had to silently admit that his wild hair sent a flutter through her tummy. And his sweats hung so low on his hips, giving a hint of his muscled abs as he lifted his shirt to scratch absentmindedly at his stomach.

"Am I late?"

His question broke the spell, and with flushed cheeks, she whipped back around to face Robin, praying no one had noticed her checking him out. The changeling had her catching sly, guilty glances at him a lot lately. And she was terrified someone was going to notice.

She'd been filled with this same kind of worry since Halloween. That's when things had…changed. She'd spent some time alone with Beast Boy and found he was actually kind of fun. He'd helped her let go of some of her anxiety that night, helped her relax. And since, she'd found his presence astonishingly soothing…when he wasn't going out of his way to annoy her.

As a result, she'd found herself spending more and more time with him. Well, not so much with him as around him. She read in the living room while he played video games. She sat next to him on team movie nights. She'd even invited him to join her in a few training sessions. It was all innocent stuff, things she hoped he didn't pick up on. But they were things that had recently begun spreading a warm, comfortable awareness through her.

Her new feelings were terrifying and foreign, and she didn't quite know what to do with them. After the intimate way they'd danced on Halloween, she'd been filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions. So she'd told him the two of them should get pizza together some time. She'd purposely left it vague. The plan was to judge how he felt about her in return by his response to her offer.

He'd seemed really excited about the idea of them spending more time together, so she'd thought perhaps his feelings might go beyond friendship. She hadn't wanted to make any assumptions though, so she'd left it up to him to bring up their dinner plans again, and it had taken nearly four agonizing weeks.

He'd asked her out of the blue one evening while she'd been getting ready to make dinner. And he'd asked her to go right then and there. She'd known it was motivated by their arguing teammates, but she'd still been unable to ignore her excitement at the offer.

She'd rushed to get ready…only she hadn't known what to wear. She didn't date—like ever—so her options had been limited. And besides, she hadn't been sure it actually _was_ a date. She hadn't wanted to dress too nice in case she was seeing something there that wasn't, but she'd also not wanted to come out of her room looking as if she didn't care. So she'd settled on middle ground and chosen something that could go either way. Her plan had been to judge the situation by his outfit.

Finding him in a zip up hoodie, she'd settled on their dinner being nothing more than two friends escaping a chaotic household. But then he'd chased her assumption away with a simple brush of his knuckles against the back of her neck when he'd zipper her backpack up for her. The reaction her body gave…that hadn't been friendly at all. It had thrown her back into a sense of insecurity. And their heart to heart chat over dinner hadn't done anything to settled her growing attraction to him. Seeing deeper intellect to him had been a turn on.

He'd then offered to take her for ice cream, and she'd been sure it meant something. He didn't want their time together to end either. He'd taken his jacket off, zipping her up in it when she got cold. The move had been unexpected and had her hormones dancing with excitement—as had the dress shirt he'd had hidden under his bulky jacket. He _had_ dressed for a date!

But then as bad guys loved to do, they were interrupted by their communicators going off. A mission had pulled them away from their…date? Not date?

Something else had happened, though. They'd dressed together. In a tiny closet. Their backs practically pressed together, his hot skin brushing against hers.

She'd honestly thought she was going to faint. She'd never stripped down in front of a guy she was interested in before, and her emotions had been going haywire. She'd tried to play it off, tried so hard. But she'd felt anxiety coming off of him in waves as well. Had it been because of her? Because of the mission?

Wanting to test the waters, she'd teasingly asked him to zip up the back of her uniform. She hadn't thought he would actually do it, but then he did. And it was hard not to notice the way his fingers trembled as he did. He was affected by her. That was her proof.

When she'd turned to face him, there'd been this heavy moment. She'd gazed up into his eyes and thought—hoped—he was going to kiss her. If there was ever a moment to do it, it had been right then.

But he hadn't. Instead, he'd taken a step back. He'd either chickened out or he wasn't into her the way she was into him. And the not knowing was killing her.

She bit her lip as she tried for the millionth time to figure out where she stood with him. He did nothing to help her unease when he plopped down between her and Starfire, squeezing in and practically sitting on both of their laps. Giving a big yawn, he dropped his head to her shoulder. "I'm here. Let the meeting begin."

Her cheeks flushing, she lifted her shoulder, trying to push him off of her. "I don't want you drooling on my clothing." More like she couldn't handle him being this close. It was torture. Sweet, delicious torture.

Instead of listening, he settled in. "I've seen you with Plasmus goo all over you. A little bit of BB drool isn't going to do any harm."

She frowned but remained silent. If she made too big of a deal about it, it would draw attention. And that was the last thing she wanted. As she didn't even know what his feelings, or hers for that matter, were, she didn't want anyone else taking guesses too. "So what is this about?" she asked, tone monotone and bored.

Robin's frown immediately left his face. A smile graced his lips and he stood up taller. "Titans, I want us to do something different this year for the holidays, something unique." He paused for dramatic effect. "This year, I want us to do Secret Santas."

Raven's brows arched. It wasn't exactly unique. Plenty of people did Secret Santa exchanges. She wasn't about to tell him that, though. Her thoughts had automatically gone to the previous month when Beast Boy explained to her why Robin did all of these group activities. They were his family, and he wanted them to bond. This new knowledge had her remaining silent instead of grumbling or throwing a fit as she normally might have.

Robin had obviously been expecting it, because his gaze honed in on her. "Let me guess, Raven, you think this is a stupid idea."

"Nope," she said easily. "I think it's a great idea."

"And you don't want to participate," he said, as if he hadn't heard her response.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm actually kind of eager to participate."

He frowned at her, his brows furrowed suspiciously. "You're not going to fight it?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Nope."

His gaze remained on her for a long minute before he finally shrugged. "If you say so." He then went on to explain how it would work. They would still buy gifts for each of their friends. But in addition, they would do small, kind things for the person they'd selected. It would remain a secret until Christmas Eve, when they would exchange Secret Santa gifts. They would save their gifts for the rest of the Titans until morning.

"Then I guess there's nothing left to do but pick names," Robin finished. He pulled a glass dish off of the end table behind him. It was filled with small slips of paper. He'd come prepared.

Beast Boy perked up, his head lifting from Raven's shoulder. "Ooh. Perfect. Rae and I have plans to go Christmas shopping together this afternoon, so we can pick a few extra treats out for our people."

She turned to him in confusion. "We do?" she asked quietly, hoping to keep their conversation private.

"We do now." He offered her a cheeky grin before reaching out and selecting a slip of paper.

Raven frowned at him a moment longer before reaching in for her own slip. Unfolding it, she saw the name "Robin" written across the scrap of paper. With a smile, she slipped it into her pocket. Robin would be easy. They often had similar tastes and hobbies. And she knew the sort of things he liked.

"You aren't going to complain about who you picked?" Robin asked, looking astonished.

"Nope," she said, almost chipperly…well, chipper for _her_. "I'm happy with who I got."

"Really?" he asked.

"Jeez, Robin!" She gave a huff of annoyance at the incredulous tone of his voice. "I'm really happy with who I picked. No, I don't want to change. Nor do I want to complain in the least. I'm good. Perfect, actually." She waved him off. Had she really been that difficult in the past that those closest to her automatically expected a fight over simple social obligations?

She knew the answer to that. She scowled, unhappy with that unflattering assessment of her own personality.

Robin stared at her for a moment longer, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, before he shrugged. "All right then. Meeting adjourned." He shot her one last look before moseying out of the room, heading down the hall toward the training room.

The instant he was gone, Beast Boy turned lazily in his seat, his upper body draped over the back of the couch. "You ready to go do that shopping now?"

She hesitated, her mind whirring, though she kept a careful frown on her lips. She was torn over how to react. On one hand, she hated how he thought he could pressure her into doing whatever he wanted with a simple smile. On the other hand, she would admit—though only to herself—that she liked that he wanted to spent time with her. And he totally _could_ win her over with just a smile.

"Come on, Rae," he wheedled, taking her silence as a rejection.

Letting out a huff, she finally said, "Whatever."

"Awesome!" He shoved her off of the couch, and had she not been quick to react, she would have toppled to the floor. "Now go get ready."

She stood over him, glaring down into his amused green eyes. Then she sighed and shook her head. Without another word, she trudged off in the direction of her room. She was halfway there when she realized she had no clue where they were going. If they were headed to the mall, it could be stuffy and hot in there. She would want to dress light. If they were going to one of the outdoor markets they frequented, she wanted to wear something warmer.

She turned and headed back in the direction of the living room to ask of his plans, but something had her freezing in the doorway. It took her a moment to focus on the voices in the room and register that she'd heard her own name. It appeared Beast Boy and Cyborg were having what was obviously meant to be a private conversation.

Unable to help herself, she leaned against the doorway to hear what they could possibly be discussing and how it involved her.

"Come on, Cy! Please!" Beast Boy's voice was desperate and verging on whiney.

"I'm not switching you people," Cyborg said with impatience. It was clear this wasn't the first time he'd spoken these words.

"But I've got Starfire. She's got to be the easiest person in the Tower to shop for! She likes all that girly stuff. You and I both know that Raven is difficult to buy for, so you should be thanking me for taking her off your hands."

Cyborg turned on him with annoyance in his eyes. "And how do you even know I have Raven?"

"Because I don't have her. And I know Starfire doesn't have her. I peeked over her shoulder when she opened her paper. And Raven doesn't have herself. That leaves you or Robin. Process of elimination."

Cyborg let out a frustrated huff. "Why do you even want Raven so badly anyway?"

Beast Boy's ears drooped and he gazed up at his best friend with an expression of vulnerability. "You know why."

Cyborg stared at him for a long moment before letting out a little sigh. "Fine. Fine." He shook his head. "But you're doing garbage duty any time it's my turn for a month."

"Two months!" Beast Boy promised, dancing excitedly in place.

Raven had heard enough. She spun away from the doorway and hurried down the hallway to her room. Once there, she closed herself in and leaned heavily against the metallic door.

He'd begged to be her Secret Santa. He'd voluntarily taken garbage duty for two months just to have her name. A smile began forming on her lips and she bit the lower one to restrain the giddy reaction. If there was ever a sign about how he felt, that right there was it.

Her mood uncharacteristically buoyant, she made her way to her closet and threw open the door. She would just have to figure out an outfit on her own. She cocked her head to the side, purple hair sliding over her shoulder as she surveyed her wardrobe. She wanted to dress nice, but at the same time, she didn't want to let on that she'd heard their conversation. She knew it wasn't something he would have wanted her to hear.

Reaching into the back of the closet, she pulled out a long sleeved, dark purple shirt made out of some sort of form fitting, clingy material. She'd always thought it suctioned to her body and drew attention to her chest. Before, that had been a bad thing. Now…

Smirking, she tossed it to her bed before grabbing a pair of plain black dress slacks. She pulled on the slacks before slipping into her favorite black flats. Then she tugged the shirt on and fluffed out her hair. Looking at herself in the mirror, she nodded in approval. It was simple and elegant, nothing too obvious, but it also complimented her in all the right places.

She turned to leave, but then swiveled on her feet and headed into her bathroom. Rooting around in the very back of one of the drawers, she finally found what she was looking for. Her hand emerged with an unopened tube of lip gloss.

She quickly peeled off the wrapping and then stared at it almost suspiciously. Starfire had given it to her a few months ago. It had come in a bundle, and Star claimed it went better with Raven's skin tones than her own. Raven had tossed it to the back of a drawer and dismissed it…until now.

Shrugging, she smoothed some across her lips and studied herself in the mirror. Her lips shimmered with a subtle hint of glitter and tasted like cupcakes. Quickly running a brush through her hair, she decided she was done. She smiled and exited the bathroom.

She'd barely stepped into the hallway before Starfire was on her. "Friend Raven," she said with excitement.

"What?" She kept her tone bored and uninterested. She could tell by the excess of excitement wafting off of Starfire in waves that she probably wasn't going to like this conversation.

"I am most excited for your date with friend Beast Boy."

Raven reared back at this. Of all the things that could have come out of her friend's mouth, that was the last thing she'd been expecting. " _What?_ It's…it's…" She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "It's not a date."

"It is the not?" Starfire asked with a frown.

"No. Why would you think that? We're just going Christmas shopping."

"Yes," she said, sounding completely logical. "But every time you go out with just friend Beast Boy lately, you dress nicer than when you go out with any of the rest of us. And—" She let out a dramatic gasp. "Are you wearing the lip gloss?" She gave a squeal of excitement and grabbed Raven under the chin with one hand so she could closer examine her.

Raven scowled and tugged out of her friend's grip. Sure, she had a little bit of a…thing for Beast Boy. But she'd barely been able to admit it to herself. He didn't know how she felt. She definitely wasn't ready for her other friends to know. It would be embarrassing. "I wear lip gloss all the time," she lied. _Great. Now I'm going to have to actually wear lip gloss all the time._ "And I just happen to like this outfit. I don't dress differently…" She let out a frustrated growl. "Fine. If it will prove my point, I'll change. I can wear an old, ratty sweatshirt for all I care."

She turned on her heels and marched back into her room. As she passed her mirror, she saw how flattering the outfit was on her, how it accentuated her curves. She froze. _Damn it._ She didn't want to change.

Glaring in annoyance, she spun again and headed back out into the hallway.

Starfire was waiting for her with a smirk of amusement.

"I just don't have time to change," she grumbled.

Starfire let out a delighted giggle that Raven chose to ignore. Instead, she marched down the corridor to Beast Boy's room and banged her fist against his door. "Beast Boy. Let's go!" She wanted out of the Tower as soon as possible. The last thing she needed was for Cyborg to see her. He would tease her relentlessly for days if he knew she was wearing makeup, even if it was minimal.

A moment later, Beast Boy's door slid open. His eyes widened, his gaze roving over her in appreciation. "Wow…"

It was the reaction she'd been hoping for, but she couldn't enjoy it with Starfire lingering farther off down the hallway. "Let's go," she said darkly. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his shoulder and teleported them out of the Tower.

They appeared a moment later in the mall parking lot, just in front of the main entrance. "Is this fine?" she asked. "Or did you prefer we shop in the market?"

"Um…I was actually kind of thinking both."

"Both?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I figured we could shop at the mall for a few hours, get some lunch, and then hit the market in the afternoon."

"That's a lot of shopping. You've only got four people to shop for. How much time do you need?" The instant the question was out of her mouth, she regretted it. She wanted to spend some time alone with him, to see if she could sort out her feelings. Why was she arguing?

"I's gots my Secret Santa shopping to do," he said playfully. "It's serious business. Though I don't want you peeking and finding out which of the guys I have. It's s'posed to be a secret."

She tried very hard to hide her smirk. One of the guys? She knew for a fact he hadn't ever had one of the guys. "So you're saying you have one of the guys?" she asked innocently.

He gave a cry of mock frustration. "You're like a detective or something. Stop trying to narrow down who I have. It's cheating."

She couldn't stop her smile at the effort he was putting in to keep her from knowing he had her. It was…sweet. Since when was Beast Boy sweet? Wanting to keep the game going, she nodded. "All right. I'll stop asking questions…about which one of the guys you have. Let's just start shopping already."

She hesitated a fraction of a second before slipping her arm through his, going for casual and friendly. Starfire often linked arms with her when she dragged Raven out shopping. This was no different…right? "I don't have plans this afternoon, so I'm okay with starting here, getting lunch, and heading to the market. It will be nice to get done with my shopping early."

He glanced down at their arms, an expression of surprise flitting across his features before he quickly hid it. "Yeah. Sure. Sounds fun." And with a little wink, he led her into the mall.

OOOOO

Raven sat across from Beast Boy at a table at the food court in Jump City's mall. A massive plate of nachos sat between them, a shared meal. It was this that made her realize just why she liked him so much.

Over the past few weeks, she'd discovered there were things about him she found attractive. His ears had always been endearing to her, but other things were starting to surface. Little things. Like the color of his uniform. Why was it that she found him wearing pink with such ease sexy? Or his shoes. They were so big and gangly…and cute. She'd suddenly decided the way his hair fell over his forehead was adorable. But it was more than just physical appearance that drew her. The biggest attraction, the one she was consumed with at the moment, was that he was comfortable to her. With him, she never felt the social pressures that came with hanging out with a guy. She didn't feel the awkwardness or the unspoken expectations. She could just relax and be herself. It was refreshing.

On the few dates she'd been on, she never would have considered splitting a meal with her dinner companion…not that this was a date…or a proper meal.

They both reached for a nacho at the same time, the same one in fact, and their fingers brushed.

She playfully slapped his hand away and snatched up the desired chip. "Back off," she said with a little smirk. "Or I'll go all demony on you."

He held up his hands in surrender. "The lady is possessive of her food. Noted."

She laughed lightly, something up until a few months ago, she hadn't known how to do freely. Then, as she gazed at his hands, she cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "You're wearing gloves."

"So? I always wear gloves."

"You're in civilian clothing. Why do you still have gloves on?"

He froze, his expression becoming suddenly guarded, before he slowly lowered his hands to his lap. "Habit."

She could tell by his reaction that she'd said the wrong thing, asked the wrong question. It wasn't often he showed he was bothered by anything, but right now, he clearly was. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

He shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. "It's all right." He hesitated, his eyes searching her face, before he finally said, "The green face, people are perfectly fine with. But the hands? I've noticed that just because they're green a lot of people assume I don't practice proper hygiene. Like I'm unsanitary or something. They act like just because they're green, I don't know how to properly wash my hands." He shrugged, but his expression gave away how hurtful he found this. "I got tired of getting disapproving side eye, even more tired of the comments. So I started wearing the gloves all the time."

"Are you serious?" She felt Rage push to the surface and was forced to restrain her, like the mental version of holding someone back in a fight. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, well…" He ran a hand uncomfortably along the back of his neck. "You know what people are like when faced with something "different". It's the fear of the unknown. They always assume the worst."

"People are idiots." As he lowered his arm away from his neck, she reacted. She didn't have time to feel embarrassed or second guess herself. She simply snatched his hand out of the air.

Holding it between both of hers, she tugged at the Velcro strap that held the gray glove in place. Once she had it free, she loosened the glove, before sliding it off and placing it to the side.

She held his bare hand in both of hers, stroking her thumb along the back of his hand. It was unbelievably soft. No doubt that came from always being hidden away. His digits were well protected from the elements. "You wear gloves even at the Tower, when it's just us." Her purple gaze lifted to catch his. "I hope you don't think any of us think that way as well."

His cheeks flushed. "Like I said, it's just habit."

"I hope so. You should always feel safe at the Tower, like you can be yourself. You can't let outsiders make you feel self-conscious about who you are, especially in your own home."

She turned his hand over in hers and traced the line of his palm. "They're just hands, Gar. Nice hands, in fact." They were large hands, but they were warm and gentle. They were the exact opposite of her tiny, chilly ones. She used her index finger to outline the soft creases along his palm, feeling disbelief that he could be self-conscious about his hands. He wasn't the type to be self-conscious about anything.

When she looked up, it was to find him gaping at her in astonishment. She who avoided physical contact as much as possible had linked arms with him earlier and was now holding his hand, caressing it.

Knowing she was blushing, she dropped his hand and pushed the glove across the table to him for him to don again if he felt like it.

He chose instead to remove the other one and shove them into his back pocket with a little smile.

Feeling a need to remove the thickness of the atmosphere around them, she attempted to lighten the mood. "Though I do get why you would want to wear the gloves. They've definitely got sex appeal."

His brows arched. "You think my gloves are sexy?"

Aw, crap. Well, that had backfired, hadn't it? She shrugged, hoping she looked as if the question really didn't matter to her. "Some girls are into that kind of thing."

"Some girls?" He lifted a brow. "The Raven type?"

Damn. He wasn't going to let it go. Too bad for him that she was a master at avoiding topics she didn't want to deal with. Shrugging nonchalantly, she picked up another chip drenched in cheese and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly until he gave up and lifted a nacho of his own to his lips.

Swallowing, she decided to turn the tables on him. "When we split up earlier, did you find anything good for your secret person?"

"Oh yeah."

The thick, husky tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She hoped she successfully hid her delight at his comment. "Oh yeah? You seem really pleased with who you have."

"There's nobody else I'd rather have, if I'm to be honest." His eyes stared into hers a moment too long, before he flushed and looked away. "Anyway, I got a couple of really nice surprises."

And she couldn't wait to see them. These next few weeks were going to be a real treat.

OOOOO

They had been walking the market for almost two hours now, and Raven still wasn't ready to go home. They'd had such a nice day out together. Not only that, it had been productive too. She'd picked up a few things for Robin and something for Cyborg.

She was surprised Beast Boy had managed to go the entire time without annoying her. He was getting good at that. When had he gotten so good at that?

"Hey! Raven!" Beast Boy came running over from a booth a few away from where she stood. "I found something Starfire would absolutely love!" He grabbed hold of her wrist and ran back in the direction he'd come, dragging her with him.

As he tugged, his hand slid from her wrist down to her hand. They came to a stop, but he didn't let go. He continued to hold on to her as he pointed out some large vanity mirror that shockingly had Tamaranean symbols etched into the frame.

He was right. Starfire would love it, especially since the seller claimed the words etched into the wood were inspirational.

Raven tried to focus on what the seller was saying, but she was having trouble concentrating on anything other than their joint hands. She wanted to look at them, but she also didn't want to bring attention to them. He was holding her hand! She forced herself to concentrate on the mirror. "Starfire would really like that. It's a good find."

As he discussed price and the seller's willingness to ship it to the Tower for him, Raven glanced down at their hands, feeling it safe as he was thoroughly distracted. Ever so slowly, she slipped her fingers through his, twining them together. She stared at the jarring sight, his green fingers linked with her ghostly pale ones. A soft smile curled her lips despite her desire to remain stoic about the situation. She just really liked the sight…

It took a moment for her to realize things had fallen silent. She looked up to find him staring at her in amusement.

"I'm gonna need that hand back to get into my wallet."

She yanked her hand back as if burnt. He'd caught her staring. She'd been _staring_. And had there been a smile on her face? She prayed there hadn't been a smile on her face. She crossed her arms around her waist and took a step back.

What was wrong with her? She was turning into…into…into a _girl_! She was so busy fretting, she failed to realize he'd finished his transaction.

"Come on, Raven. I smell pretzels up ahead, and I want a snack." And with that, he grabbed her hand, linked their fingers, and tugged her farther down the row.

OOOOO

Two days after their trip to the market, Raven entered the kitchen intent on making her morning tea. When she entered the room, she came to a sudden stop upon seeing a small box on the counter with her name on it.

She glanced over her shoulder into the hallway behind her, but it was deserted. Smiling slightly, she made her way over to the box and read the slip attached to the outside.

 _To a very special half-demon. I hope this starts your morning off right. From your Secret Santa._

Her heart pattered in her chest as she lifted the top off of the box and looked inside. Nestled in some dark blue tissue paper sat a mug and a second, smaller box. She lifted the mug first and turned it over in her hand. A cartoon caricature of herself glared back at her, with the words, " _I hate nosy journalists_ " scrawled in fancy handwriting above her head. It was a picture a cartoonist from Jump City had run in the paper last year. It had been a mean-spirited piece on how she didn't respect the local journalists, but she'd found it deeply amusing. It meant the fact that she didn't cave to their demands for pictures or pointless interviews was getting to them. It meant she was winning.

The other Titans had been afraid of her reaction to the cartoon. All except Beast Boy. He'd shoved the paper under her nose with a chuckle and—while the others waved their hands frantically for him to stop—shown her the comic strip.

The mug would have kind of been a giveaway as to who her Secret Santa was if she didn't already know. She was pretty sure the others were still waiting for her to seek revenge against the journalist.

Smirking and rolling her eyes, she set the mug aside and lifted up the smaller box. It was a Christmas advent calendar, but instead of pieces of chocolate, there was a different tea bag in each slot. She saw a few unique options, like Christmas Spice and Cinnamon Orange. All of them sounded delicious.

It was a twelve-day calendar, which meant she could start right away. Setting the kettle to boil, she then moved to the sink and quickly scrubbed out the mug, just to make sure it was clean.

She was just pouring hot water onto a ginger peach tea bag when Beast Boy entered the kitchen. The sight of him sent a jolt of excitement through her belly and she couldn't help but remember holding hands with him at the market. The rest of their trip after buying Starfire's mirror, he'd kept his fingers linked with hers, his thumb caressing her hand when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

Even after that, they'd still returned to the Tower to behave as if nothing had happened between them. It was like they were trapped in a dance neither of them knew how to end. It seemed apparent that there were reciprocated feelings there, but neither of them knew how to take that next step.

He gave a yawn and stretched his arms over his head, pretending to be tired. He didn't look all that tired. He looked like a guy who'd been awake for a while, trying to set up a gift for his secret person. She smirked slightly and turned her back on him, not wanting him to see her amusement. "Good morning. You're up early."

"I couldn't sleep." He crossed the kitchen to stand beside her at the counter. "What have you got there?" he asked, barely managing to contain his excitement at seeing her using her gifts already.

"Oh, just a little something from my Secret Santa." She lifted the mug to her lips and took a delicate sip. The warm, ginger taste brought a groan of approval from her. He'd gotten the good stuff, not he generic brand garbage the local supermarket peddled.

She showed him the cartoon of herself that decorated the ceramic in her hand. "My new favorite mug." She smirked before adding, "My Secret Santa is hitting it out of the park. You're going to have to do something really special to keep up with my person."

His lips tugged into a grin, and she wondered for half a second if he knew that she knew. Then she dismissed it. She had a feeling he was enjoying the game. Her knowing would put a damper on it for him. "So it would seem. Your person must really like you to go through all of this trouble."

She grinned into her mug, taking another sip of the tea. "They must." Their eyes locked for a moment before she walked away from him, hiding her amusement. "I'm guessing it's Starfire."

She would have given anything to see his expression at her mock guess, but there was no way she would have been able to keep a straight face. So without turning around, she exited the kitchen without another word.

OOOOO

Training with Robin was always difficult, but it seemed he was ironically punishing her for gifting him that book on advanced fighting techniques. It seemed he was trying them all out on her. Totally uncool of him…not that he knew the book came from her.

She swung her right arm in a circle, trying to loosen the muscles as she headed to the locker room. She needed a hot shower and a fresh change of clothes after this latest brutal session with her team leader.

She kicked off her shoes and reached toward her locker for her clean clothing. As the door swung open, she found herself staring in at a single red rose dangling on a string from the center clothing hook. It was tied to a simple note.

 _Because you deserve it. From your Secret Santa._

A rose. He'd given her a rose. No one had ever bought her flowers before. It was stupid and girly and just the kind of thing she would hate.

With an annoyingly giddy smile, she freed the blood-red flower and brought it to her nose, inhaling delicately.

Beast Boy had been smart to beg Cyborg to switch him people. If he'd been hoping to win her over with his gifts, it was working. She pressed the rose to her mouth to hide her smirk, the silky petals stroking her lips. It was more than working.

OOOOO

Raven limped in the direction of her bedroom, too tired to even levitate off of the ground. They'd been in a battle with some low-level villain with mild telekinetic powers. It should have been something easy, but somehow she'd gotten hit by a stray mailbox.

The blow had stunned her, enough so that Robin sent her to talk to the arresting officers—something _he_ usually handled—while he helped round up the last of the henchmen. Though she'd enjoyed the reprieve from battle, it kept her at the scene longer than the rest of her teammates. They'd arrived home a good half hour before her. She grumbled about this as she trudged to her room. She was tired and achy and irritable.

She entered her room and instantly froze. She was very particular about her personal space and knew immediately that someone had been into her room. Her outraged gaze darted to her bathroom door. It was ajar—she never left it ajar—and there was a light on.

Her chest puffed with stored oxygen as she prepared to go full demon on whoever was in her _bathroom_. But as she entered the room, she let out that breath in a whoosh.

Tealight candles flickered over different surfaces, lending the room its only light. The bath was filled to the brim with steaming water and lavender scented bubbles. A small end table had been pulled up next to the tub. On it sat the book she was currently reading, her new mug, and a folded slip of paper. Beast Boy. This was his handiwork.

She flitted between delight and anger. He'd invaded her personal space, but he'd planned such a nice surprise for her while doing it. Finally, she got over her initial irritation and settled on delight.

Unable to help her affectionate smile, she crossed the room and lifted the folded piece of paper. Flicking it open, she read the message inside.

 _I figured you'd earned this after the day you had. From your Secret Santa._

She couldn't have stopped the cheesy smile that spread across her lips if she'd tried. Luckily, it was just her in the room…and the little green fly on the wall.

Wanting to tease him a bit, she said, "I could just kiss my Secret Santa."

She heard the distinct buzz of excited wings.

Smirking, she unsnapped the buckle at her throat and let her cloak slip to the bathroom floor. Then she kicked out of her shoes. "I can't wait to get naked and in that bath." She reached for the zipper of her leotard and the little green fly went zooming frantically out of the room.

She laughed at this predictable reaction as she finished stripping. "Thank you, Garfield," she whispered, knowing he was too far away to hear her. She kicked her discarded uniform to the side and stepped gingerly into the bath.

Sinking into the steaming water, she let out a grateful groan. The heat was blissful. Lifting a dripping hand, she pulled the mug toward her and took a sip. For a second, she recoiled in surprise, but then she smiled. Hot chocolate. Not tea. She'd been expecting tea.

She should have known he would have given her hot chocolate. He was a surprisingly observant guy. He'd noticed she drank hot chocolate on particularly tough days. The stronger, the better. And this was a blast of sugary goodness.

"I could definitely kiss my Secret Santa."

And suddenly, that was her goal.

OOOOO

Christmas Eve had arrived and the Titans were in full celebration mode. Dinner was coming to a close, and they would be revealing their Secret Santas very soon. Raven's stomach was a mess of nervous knots. Knowing Beast Boy was behind all of the thoughtful gifts bestowed upon her these past few weeks was one thing. Him confessing it to her was a whole new world of complications. It would mean finally talking about the thing that was happening between them. They'd spent months carefully avoiding the examination of the situation. They'd been flirting and going out of their way to spend time alone together, but they'd yet to vocalize anything. That thought terrified her.

She wasn't the most forthcoming person when it came to her feelings. And he wasn't the best at holding his in. It was a recipe for a disastrous conversation. Maybe they could avoid the entire thing if he simply kissed her. Then they could acknowledge that things were obviously different without having to _discuss_ it.

Determined to see this happen with a little plan she'd been working on since before dinner, she made to push up from the table when Starfire suddenly gave a cry of surprise from beside her.

The alien princess suddenly reached out and latched onto Raven's wrist, halting her escape. "What is this?"

Raven looked down at the delicate silver bracelet on her wrist and flushed. It had her name engraved on it in scrawling letters, only the 'A' in her name had been replaced with a little heart. "A bracelet?"

"But you do not do the wearing of the jewelry. I've never seen you wear the jewelry before."

Raven shook her arm uncomfortably, trying to get Starfire to release her. "It was a gift from my Secret Santa, okay?"

Starfire's eyes narrowed. Lifting Raven's wrist to eye level, she closely examined the bracelet. "This goes far beyond the gift of a Secret Santa. My Santa has given me many wonderful things, but nothing like this. This is a gift of the romantic kind. I don't understand why—" She inhaled sharply and suddenly went quiet.

Raven arched a brow at her. "You okay there, Star?"

Starfire stared up at her for a moment in silence, her green eyes wide. "I just…I think I know who your Secret Santa might be. That is all."

Raven closed her eyes and let out a soft exhale. Starfire might be oblivious to many things, but other times she was far too observant for Raven's liking. "It's fine, Starfire. I know who it is too."

Starfire's eyes went impossibly wide. "And yet you are wearing the heart bracelet anyway. Are you trying not to hurt his feelings? Or…" She trailed off, her eyes somehow widening even more. "Friend Raven! I was right before when I accused you of behaving differently around him! I knew it! You _do_ have the warm feelings for Bea—"

Raven clamped a hand over her friend's mouth. " _No_! Shhh! Don't. Don't say it." Her words were pleading and desperate. She looked around to make sure no one else was in hearing range. "I don't know, okay? Maybe? Let's just say I'm entertaining the idea, but I haven't quite got it figured out just yet. So could you not say anything for a little while? Please?"

She sent Starfire her most pleading look, something she was not very experienced at. "Let me figure out what is going on in my head before you go getting all excited."

Starfire opened her mouth to respond, but Robin poked his head into the kitchen and cut her off.

"Come on, you two! We're ready to exchange gifts in here!" With that, he disappeared back into the other room.

Raven reached out to stop Starfire's exit. "Starfire. Please."

Starfire gave her a sunny smile. "Your secret is safe with me, Raven. Especially since I don't see it being a secret for very much longer."

Frowning, Raven followed her into the adjourning room.

The boys had been busy distributing gifts. Robin sat on the couch with her present to him in his lap. On the seat beside his was a hot pink package she assumed to be Starfire's gift from Cyborg.

Starfire trotted over and sank gracefully into the seat beside Robin, her hand automatically seeking his.

Cyborg was lounging on the floor with a silver wrapped box next to him.

Beast Boy was a few feet away from him, also stretched out on the floor. He had a green package with an artfully tied bow on top.

Right beside him on the floor sat another box, this one wrapped in dark purple paper. It was small and ominous. She found her heart beating faster and her hands sweating. That little box would officially bring to light all of the nice things he'd been doing for her, that they'd been from _him_. And Starfire was right, they went beyond Secret Santa gifts. Running her a hot bath, giving her an engraved bracelet…that wasn't something someone did if they wanted to be just friends with you.

He looked up and saw her standing hesitantly in the doorway. "Over here, Rae! I saved you a seat."

Beside him. It would have been conspicuous had he not done that sort of thing all the time…unless it had always been conspicuous and she'd just been oblivious. Shaking her head at her own jumbled thoughts, she crossed the room and slipped down beside him. "Don't call me "Rae". It's Raven," she grumbled, but he paid her no mind.

Tugging the package into her lap, she fiddled with the black ribbon across the top. It was sloppily tied, unlike the very precise bow on the package he held. Smirking, she realized she suddenly knew who had Beast Boy. Only Robin would tie a bow with that much precision. He was a perfectionist in everything he did.

Still, she liked her sloppy bow. It went perfectly with the often-sloppy boy beside her. It was…endearing. Leaning closer to him, she whispered, "You used too much tape. You always use too much tape."

She saw his ears tint red in embarrassment as he realized she knew the present was from him, but before he could even turn to look at her, Robin shouted out, "Titans, unwrap!"

Swallowing thickly and unable to even glance at Beast Boy, she flicked open the small tag attached to the ribbon.

 _From your Secret Santa—Garfield._

He'd signed it Garfield. Not Beast Boy. That somehow made it feel all the more intimate. They didn't often use their real names, so when they did, it held meaning.

Still not looking at him, she tugged at the string of the ribbon and it came free easily. Getting past all of the tape was more of a challenge, but she finally found an available spot of paper and ripped the present open.

In her lap sat a small box, its contents still unknown. With trembling fingers, she lifted the lid to find a folded slip of paper. Picking up the paper, she unfolded it and silently read over its contents.

What she held were two tickets to the symphony. Good seats at the symphony. She loved the symphony, but didn't often get to go. There just never seemed to be any time, and no one else seemed to enjoy it like she did.

It was such a thoughtful, perfect gift. She felt tears burn at her eyes and widened them in horror. She was not going to tear up! She didn't do things like that.

He leaned in against her shoulder and whispered hopefully to her, "Do you like it?" His cheeks were tinged with a blush. "I figured we could head into the city, get a nice dinner, then go listen to the symphony."

"It's perfect," she whispered back. "More than perfect."

His expression was so pleased it made her heart hurt. Why did she continue to have these types of reactions to him? Why was it so hard to resist his goofy smile?

He opened his mouth to speak, but Robin cut him off, dropping down to the floor in front of her.

"Thanks for the present, Raven. I'm definitely going to put this to good use. Mine was getting worn." She slowly turned her attention to him as he held up the new motorcycle helmet she'd gotten him. It was customized just for him, with a giant "R" running down the side of it that matched his uniform.

Beside her, Beast Boy became engaged in conversation with Cyborg, so she gave Robin her full focus. It seemed their talk would have to wait. "Worn is an understatement. That thing was cracked. You were one slip up away from a fractured skull."

He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah…well…" He chuckled. "I appreciate it. Seriously. This is a thoughtful gift."

She nodded, pleased he liked it. "You're welcome. I only ask that you start using it immediately and protect that head of yours. We can't have a leader with brain damage." She smirked. "Nor can I have your IQ going down. I'd be the only one left with intellect then," she teased playfully.

He laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "Don't let Cyborg hear you say that."

"Maybe I _should_ let him hear," she said lightly. "It might get him to question all of the hours he spends playing video games."

"Unlikely." Robin's eyes darted across the room and he suddenly leapt to his feet. "Who wants eggnog?" he called out to the room.

Raven watched him dart off, shaking her head in amusement. "Eggnog sounds good." As she climbed to her feet and crossed the room after him, she realized that she and Beast Boy had managed to once again avoid that talk. Robin had become the perfect distraction, interrupting whatever they'd been about to say to each other. And then Cyborg had pulled Beast Boy off to show off whatever gift he'd received. It seemed their conversation was going to be pushed back again. She found herself slightly relieved about that.

Her earlier idea popped into her head and she angled herself around the table she'd been about to lean her elbows on. Instead, she purposely placed herself under the mistletoe just behind it. All it would take was one kiss, one touch of their lips to say everything she was too afraid to voice aloud.

As he and Cyborg made their way over for eggnog, she leaned her hip against the tall table they'd drug into the main room for the celebration. She braced against it, putting herself perfectly under the mistletoe. She'd slyly attempted this earlier with the mistletoe in the kitchen, but Beast Boy had seemed oblivious to its presence. Maybe a second attempt would work.

As they approached, she tried to lock gazes with him. If she could catch his attention, draw it to the mistletoe above her head…

Except Starfire darted in the way. The alien princess suddenly dashed in and pressed her hands to either side of Raven's face. Then she swooped in and pressed their lips together.

Raven gave a squawk of surprise and leapt backward. "What the… Starfire! _What are you doing_?" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, gaping at Starfire in disbelief.

"You are under the mistletoe, Raven. You looked like you were waiting for the mouth kisses. I thought…" She blinked at Raven, confusion in her green eyes. "Did I do it wrong?"

Feeling sympathy for her friend, Raven gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. "No. You didn't do it wrong. I was just…not looking to kiss _you_. No offense."

"Oh." Then realization dawned in her eyes. " _Oh!_ " She covered her mouth with a delicate hand, her expression horrified. "I did not mean to ruin your kiss! I am very—"

"Shh!" Raven waved a hand for Starfire to silence whatever she'd been about to say. Then she swept her fingers frantically through her hair and leaned back down under the mistletoe just as Cyborg and Beast Boy reached them. She tried her best to look inviting—something she usually tried the opposite of.

"I don't know why you're standing so threateningly under that mistletoe, Rae, but I am not kissing you," Cyborg teased.

Starfire sent an annoyed glare his way, which earned her a look of confusion.

Meanwhile, Raven's eyes darted up and she feigned surprise. "Oh! I didn't even see that silly thing there." At this point, the mission was a failure. She was not about to have the entire team know she was waiting for Beast Boy to make a move. There was no way she would be able to live down that humiliation. Lounging around under a mistletoe? Had she really become that desperate?

Snatching a glass of eggnog from Robin, she darted across the room and back over to the couch. She flopped down on it, her face burning with embarrassment.

She stayed this way for a while, sipping at her drink and cursing her inability to do anything even slightly seductive. She became so lost in her thoughts that when someone sat down beside her, she glanced over in surprise.

Robin sat on her right, his own mug cradled in his hands. "Hey."

Getting the feeling he had something to say to her that she'd probably rather not hear, she responded warily. "Hey."

He smirked, obviously picking up on her defensiveness. "I noticed you hanging out under the mistletoe…" He arched a pointed brow at her.

She stared at him for a long moment. Then horror washed over her. She'd done her best as his Secret Santa. Surely, that hadn't given him the wrong impression… "No. That's not… I mean, you're a really great guy, but… I—"

He drowned out her protests by bursting into laughter. He laughed and laughed and laughed. Until he fell over on the couch and had to pick himself back up. "You thought I thought you were waiting under there for _me_?" He shook his head and laughed some more. "Rest easy, Raven. I know you weren't looking for a kiss from me."

She let out a sigh of relief and relaxed back against the couch. "Good. Because I wasn't waiting for _you_." Then realizing how incriminating that sounded, she corrected herself. "I wasn't waiting for anyone. It was just a coincidence."

"Uh-huh," he said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. He took a sip of his eggnog before shifting to face her. "I think it's a great idea."

"You think what's a great idea?" she asked in irritation.

"You. Him." He shrugged a shoulder. "He'd been good for you, good _to_ you. You've been through a lot. You deserve to be happy. You deserve someone who works his ass off to make you smile." He smirked and lifted his mug to his lips, taking another sip. "And he does."

Raven frowned, her eyes trained on her mug. She could not believe they were having this conversation. Did everyone in the Tower know about the uncertain situation happening between her and Beast Boy? It sure seemed that way. "Yeah, well, I'm not even sure what I want yet. So I think you're jumping the gun on your approval a little bit."

"You sure seemed as if you knew what you wanted. If your desperate attempt under the mistletoe was any indication," he said with a teasing snicker. She shot him a glare, which he ignored. "Look, I'm not over here to do anything more than tell you I think it's great you two are…bonding. I'm not going to meddle. I promise. I just wanted to remind you that he's not the best at social cues. He may have left you hanging under the mistletoe, but he'll get there. He just needs a nudge in the right direction."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Whatever," Robin said mockingly. Then he climbed to his feet. "I just want to see you happy, Raven. I think Beast Boy could do that for you. Not sure what my opinion is worth, but I wanted to let you know I approve." With a little salute, he turned and made his way back over to Starfire, his arm sliding around her waist when he reached her side.

Raven stared after him, watching as Starfire turned to feed him a bite of her cookie. Despite her lack of enthusiasm in response, inside she was beaming. Robin approved. She was her own person, but Robin's opinion always held weight with her. She thought he was one of the most intelligent people she knew. Knowing he supported such a relationship made it feel much less daunting to give it a try. If Robin didn't think it was a crazy idea, then maybe it wasn't.

Her eyes shifted over to Beast Boy, who was deep in conversation with Cyborg.

Only…his eyes were trained on her.

She blinked in surprise, then lifted her hand in a little wave.

His lips curled into a smile meant just for her.

Okay, so maybe he hadn't rushed over to kiss her under the mistletoe, but perhaps that had been expecting too much of him. Was he really going to kiss her for the first time out of the blue, with all of their friends watching him? Not likely.

Robin was right. Things would come together eventually. Naturally and on their own. Until then, she just had to be patient. Besides, they had a date on New Year's Eve. An intimate dinner and the symphony. Something would happen then. She vowed it. Because if it didn't, she was going to take matters into her own hands.

By the start of the new year, he would know exactly how she felt about him. She refused to accept anything less.


	4. Chapter 4: New Year's Date

_Thank you so much for all of the feedback! It keeps me writing. Seriously! And I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my interpretation of the characters. I'm trying to portray Raven's more fun and playful side. Sure, she's serious, but she's got feelings buried deep down in there too. She's now trying to figure out how to let them out—and BB is her target. For good and bad! *wink*_

New Year's Date

Beast Boy paced the floor of his room, his thoughts a mass of jumbled concerns. He passed the small mirror hanging on the wall and paused to look at himself. "Maybe I should change this shirt. Does it make my skin look sickly?"

Cyborg let out a huff from where he sat on the edge of the bed, watching his friend ceaselessly pace. "Dude, you look fine. I don't get the constant wardrobe changes. You're just going to dinner with Raven."

Beast Boy spun on him in outrage. " _Just_ dinner with Raven? _Just_ dinner? If you know me at all, you know this isn't _just_ dinner. It's a big deal! It's monumental!"

Cyborg rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

"I've been crushing on Raven hard since…well, since the moment she set me with that first look of annoyance. It was super hot."

Cyborg shook his head and popped a potato chip into his mouth. "That's kinda weird."

Beast Boy shrugged, not bothering to deny it. "I'm freaking out," he admitted. "It was one thing when I thought I never stood a chance. But I'm pretty sure this is a date." His eyes widened in dismay as the reality of that caught up with him. "I have a date with Raven." This second statement hit him hard, and he felt all of the color drain from his face—an amazing feat when one's skin is naturally green. This time, when he spoke, his voice was bland with his fear. "I have a date with Raven." He dropped down to the bed beside Cyborg and leaned over his knees, his head pressed between them. He tried to suck in a few calming breaths, but his pounding heart was making that impossible.

Cyborg let out a bark of laughter. "You're seriously all worked up about this. I'm torn between being amused and feeling pity for you. I don't know why, but I just assumed you'd throw on whatever and go with the flow."

Beast Boy ran his hands through his hair, mussing the strands he'd just tried to tame. "If we were going out for pizza, sure. But this isn't pizza. It's a fancy establishment. And the symphony. I've got one shot to do this right. If I screw up…" His stomach rolled with anxiety and he trailed off, taking a few more deep breaths that felt on the verge of hyperventilation.

Cyborg placed his bag of chips on the nightstand and gave his friend his full attention. "Okay. As I can tell you're one outfit change away from nervous vomiting, I'll give you some of my expert advice." He pointedly ignored the humorless look shot his way. "Go with the dark purple shirt. Raven likes purple. And go with the dark gray dress pants. They suit you better, as they aren't as severe as black. Match it with the dark gray tie. Forgo the jacket, roll up the sleeves of the shirt. Show off some green."

Beast Boy lifted his head to look hopefully up at his best friend, though he worried the expression came off as more desperate than hopeful. "Really?"

Cy shrugged. "Raven isn't going out with you because you're "normal". She likes different. So own it. She's also the type to be skittish, as she doesn't often date. Dressy but casual will put her at ease. You throw on that suit jacket and she's going to have a panic attack…much like the one you're seconds away from."

Beast Boy chose to ignore the teasing comment and instead blinked at Cyborg in awe. "You're a dating genius."

"Don't I know it."

Snatching up the suggested clothing, Beast Boy rushed off into the bathroom to change—again. He hurried into his new outfit and assessed himself in the mirror. Cyborg was right. This combination looked good.

Satisfied, he combed his fingers through his hair. He then spritzed on a little bit of cologne. It was the only one he'd found that didn't irritate his sensitive nose. He used mouthwash for the tenth time—something that _was_ starting to bother his sensitive nose—before ducking back into his room. "Do I go to her room and pick her up?" he asked nervously. "With flowers?" He widened his eyes with horror. "I don't have flowers! _What am I going to do?_ " At this devastating realization, he resumed his nervous pacing.

Cyborg arched a brow in amusement. "Remember, BB, this is Raven. I think if you showed up at her door with a dozen roses, she might knock you out."

Beast Boy skidded to a stop at these words. He tilted his head to the side as he pondered this. Then he nodded in agreement. "You're right. One rose was endearing. A dozen would be over the top and annoying. She probably wouldn't like that."

His short-lived relief was immediately squashed, and he returned to pacing. "What do I do about picking her up in her room, though? Not showing up indicates I don't care. Pounding on her door screams impatience. Should I—"

His sentence was cut off by a knock at his own door.

"Gar, are you ready to go?" Raven's voice called out.

He froze, his entire body going rigid.

Cyborg chuckled. "Your face just lost all its color." He climbed to his feet and headed for the door. "I'll just make myself scarce." He opened the door and offered Raven a wink. "See ya, Rae. Have a nice _date_."

She shot him a dirty look and pushed past him into the room. "I thought I heard something about you making yourself scarce," she grumbled in annoyance.

He mumbled a few mocking words under his breath as he disappeared into the hallway.

Raven rolled her eyes before turning to Beast Boy. "So?"

"So?" he asked, feeling nearly panicked.

"So are you ready to go?" She raised her brows at him in question.

His brain unfroze and he was suddenly able to think again, was suddenly very aware of their situation. "Y-yeah. I'm ready. I was about to head over and pick you up."

"Pick me up?" She slowly shook her head. "Unnecessary. I was perfectly fine coming to you."

He nodded. That seemed on par with her character. "I…uh…don't have any flowers."

Her lips quirked in amusement. "I wasn't expecting you to. But that's good to know."

Like most things that involved Raven, he began overthinking her comment. Was she not expecting flowers because she thought this wasn't a date? Or was she just being Raven?

As he'd done with many situations involving her recently, he decided to judge things by her outfit. His gaze swept over her clothing and this time he was positive his brain shorted out.

She was wearing a dress— _Raven_ was wearing a dress—in a deep purple color. It was short enough to show off a healthy amount of thigh, but it was also very fancy looking. He was pleased to note that her dress matched his shirt perfectly. He would have to thank Cyborg later for his suggestion. He really was a dating genius.

His gaze continued its perusal, taking in her loosely curled hair and subtle makeup. Raven was wearing makeup. Holy crap, this _was_ a date. "You look…wow." He could feel his hands clamming up, and it was suddenly hard to swallow.

"You look pretty 'wow' too," she said, the hint of a smile gracing her lips.

He was having a hard time keeping his gaze off of her. Raven was breathtaking on an average day. Even with rubble and debris in her hair, her clothing battle-torn, she sped his pulse. Right now, she was downright ravishing.

"Should we go?" she asked lightly. "Our dinner reservation is in ten minutes."

He nodded, feeling as if a fog was clogging his brain. "Yeah…sure."

Her smirk never left her lips, but she seemed to take pity on him, as he was obviously in a flustered state, and didn't comment on his currently stunted social skills. Instead, she stepped forward, took his hand, placed it on her hip, and tilted her face to look up at him.

He knew she was about to teleport them to the restaurant, but the playful look in her eyes as she sidled up close to him had his heart thumping wildly in his chest. So much for her taking pity on him.

Unable to help himself, he smoothed his hand along her hip, his fingers grazing the fabric of her dress. His heart practically did a somersault when he realized she was wearing the bracelet he'd bought her for Christmas, as her Secret Santa. It had her name engraved on it, only where the 'A' in her name should have been, there was a heart. It had been a risky move, especially the heart, especially as an anonymous Santa, but it had obviously paid off. He'd caught her wearing it a few times this week, though she tried to hide it beneath her cloak.

No matter the warm feelings that knowledge brought him, right now, she was toying with him. Though he'd be lying if he said it wasn't a turn on. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, but he liked the challenge she presented. He liked the chase.

As if reading his thoughts, she gazed coyly up at him, her eyes dancing with amusement. Then she teleported them off.

They appeared in the small alley on the side of the restaurant. She stared up at him a moment longer with those enchanting purple eyes. Then she stepped back and smoothed out the fabric of her dress. "Let's get some dinner, shall we?"

He held his arm out to her, and she looped her arm through his. She'd done this when they'd gone shopping, so he'd assumed she'd be fine with it now.

She seemed more than fine with it as she snaked up against his side.

It reminded him again that he was on a date with Raven. _Holy crap, he was on a date with Raven!_ Now all he had to do was not pull a Beast Boy and screw it up.

OOOOO

For perhaps the first time in his life, Beast Boy couldn't find his appetite. He and Raven were at some fancy Italian place Robin had recommended. He claimed it was one of Starfire's favorite places to go. The restaurant was dimly lit and romantic. He could totally see Dick and Kory dining here. Robin could pull off dark and romantic. Garfield on the other hand…

"Interesting choice of restaurant," Raven said after the waitress placed their meals in front of them and walked off.

"Yeah…uh…Robin recommended it."

She nodded as if that made sense, then lifted her fork up from her cloth napkin.

He frowned at the inference that he couldn't plan this on his own, but then her foot nudged his under the table and all his worries vanished. Was Raven seriously playing footsie with him?!

"I'm glad you took his advice. This place is nice." Her tone was monotone, almost detached. It was the exact opposite of her foot under the table.

He grinned, enjoying their little game of secret flirting.

She smirked in response and slipped her shoe off to graze her foot against his ankle.

She was smiling. He couldn't remember a time when she'd smiled this much. And he was the one making her do it. That knowledge filled him with pride. She deserved a little bit of happy, and he enjoyed being the one to making it happen. He loved her smile. It was one of his favorite things in the whole world. That alone let him know this wasn't just some silly crush. He wasn't going to have a few dates with her and lose interest. He was fully hung up on Raven.

He nudged her foot with his own, though his big, clunky feet were much larger than her small, dainty ones. He doubted it was likely to drive her as crazy as the gentle tickling to his ankle was doing to him.

She twirled some spaghetti onto her fork, her expression innocuous. Despite her look of innocence, she wrapped both of her feet around his left ankle, hooking them together at the back.

It was such an intimate gesture and completely Raven. Her visual expression never changed, but under the table, where no one could see, she let her emotions peek out. Hard on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. That was his Raven.

He froze at this thought, his fork halfway to his mouth. At what point did he start thinking of her as _his Raven_?

It was surprising, but it wasn't an unpleasant notion. His Raven. Smiling, he shoved his fork into his mouth. Suddenly, he didn't feel so nervous. No, he was determined. He wanted to make sure she remained _his Raven_. And he would do whatever it took to make that happen. So what could there possibly be to worry about?

OOOOO

Beast Boy could not have been more pleased with how dinner went. His biggest fear was not being able to keep up with Raven intellectually. She was so smart, and he knew he wasn't the brightest of the Titans. It didn't matter how attracted they were to each other, at some point, if he couldn't hold an intelligent conversation, she would grow bored of him.

Thankfully, it seemed as if he'd held his own. They'd talked through dinner, and he never felt as if he'd made a fool out of himself…at least not unintentionally. Sure, he'd made a handful of cheesy jokes that earned him eye rolls, but the small smiles that accompanied them let him know his humor was actually appreciated.

They'd arrived at the opera house early. The symphony wouldn't start playing for another hour, so they were hanging out in the lobby, looking at artwork and the lavish architecture until the main doors opened.

He stopped in front of a massive painting of a field filled with flowers. It was bright and colorful, and it called to him on some instinctual level. It made his animals itch to get out and run.

Raven approached, but instead of standing beside him as she'd done for the other paintings, she moved in front of him. "What are you looking at?"

His entire body was suddenly on high alert at having her so close. Her vanilla perfume invaded his nostrils, sending a pleasant tingle through his stomach…and embarrassingly down to his groin. "Um…just some flowers. The detail is amazing, though. Look at these brushstrokes." He leaned forward to point and his chest brushed against her back.

Instead of stepping forward to give him more room, Raven inched back, settling in against his chest. She leaned into him, her eyes on the painting as if she had no idea the effect she had on him. "A bit busy for me, but I could see how someone as bright and positive as you could like it. It's…pretty." She said this as if it was somehow a bad thing.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing up at the painting. He would happily stand here the entire night if she stayed against him like this. They could miss the symphony for all he cared. "Always a critic," he teased, trying to keep his tone light despite the thumping of his heart.

"Always."

As they continued to stand and stare up at the same painting, he couldn't help but smile. He might be totally crushing on Raven, but at least the feeling appeared to be mutual. She was totally into him, too.

After a minute or two, something else caught his attention. He'd noticed at a few of the art pieces she stopped in front of that she'd started swaying her hips to the music drifting through the building's speakers. She was doing the same again now.

He recognized the song as something from Phantom of the Opera—a tidbit of knowledge he only possessed because Starfire and Raven insisted they watch the movie version with Gerard Butler. Not that he could concentrate on Gerard Butler with the way she was rocking her hips against his groin.

It was an innocent reaction, an unconscious appreciation for the music, but it lit a fire in him. Despite his silent, mental warning against it, his body reacted to her movements. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and counted to fifty. When that didn't work, he counted backward back down to one. Then he pictured Robin in the speedo he liked to do laps in. Nothing worked. The more she moved to music, the more turned on he got. Suddenly, standing in front of this painting all night seemed like a bad idea.

He knew the instant she realized too. She suddenly froze in front of him, her entire body going still. He waited in embarrassment for her to turn around and yell at him for his inappropriate response to her subtle movements.

Instead, she resumed her dancing—with an extra roll of her hips. It was much closer to what she'd been doing on Halloween, and it did nothing to calm him down.

His hands left his pockets, and he placed them on her hips. "Raven," he whispered in warning. Having an erection in the opera house probably wasn't the wisest idea. He was going to get kicked out for public indecency.

She chuckled lightly, as if fully understanding this. Then she rolled her hips back very slowly, stroking her backside against him in a very tantalizing manner.

His grip tightened on her hips and he buried his face in her hair to hide the flush on his cheeks from anyone who might be looking their way. "Mmm, Raven…" The growl in his voice should have been humiliating, but he was too turned on to care.

"Oh, hey," she said in her usual monotone. "There are drinks over there. We should get something before the show starts."

She took a step away from him toward the beverages, and he gave a squeak of horror. He tightened his grip on her hips, keeping her protectively in front of him. "Sure," he said in a strained voice. "Just give me a minute to…just give me a minute."

She laughed at this. Then in a completely knowing voice, she asked, "Whatever for?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "You know very well what for."

She leaned back against him for a moment, turning her head so she could look at him over her shoulder. She must have seen the strain on his face, because she pushed off of him and put a little distance between them. She remained close, but not touching, and turned to face him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was inappropriate."

He gave her a wry grin that spoke of complete forgiveness. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't it enjoy it when you get inappropriate with me."

"I enjoy it too," she admitted, her cheeks flushing pink.

He couldn't help but tease her in response. It was just in his nature. "Why, Raven, are you blushing?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't test me, Gar. I will walk away and let everyone in this room see just how excited you are by this art piece."

Knowing she was only joking, he laughed. Taking her arm, he pulled her in against him. "I apologize. No more teasing. Though we both know art had nothing to do with my…predicament."

She nodded in agreement and settled in against him, getting comfortable while she allowed him a moment to collect himself. Staring up at him with an expression of contentment, she said, "I find myself almost surprised to admit that you're actually acing this date."

"So this is officially a date then?"

"Absolutely."

It was such a relief to finally hear those words, to know for certain that he wasn't just imagining the chemistry between them. He slipped his arms around her waist, keeping her close. "So what are the odds of me getting a second date?"

"The odds are astronomically in your favor."

"Astronomically, huh?"

"Despite you getting an erection in the lobby before the symphony…yeah, the odds are in your favor."

"Maybe the odds are _more_ in my favor because I got an erection in the lobby," he said with a self-depreciating, wry grin.

She slapped him on the chest with a little laugh and pulled away. "It's what every girl dreams of on a first date," she said over her shoulder. With that, she walked off toward the beverages.

Sheepishly, he followed.

OOOOO

Beast Boy stared across the Tower's main living area at Raven and felt his heart jump in his chest. He'd just spent the most amazing evening with her. They'd had a fantastic dinner, followed by some hardcore flirting in the theater lobby. Then they'd listened to the symphony, his arm around her shoulders and her head tucked in against him. Everything had just felt so…right.

She was currently busy helping Starfire arrange sleeping bags around the room, but she still glanced over her shoulder at him and gave a small smile.

When they'd returned to the Tower, Starfire had fallen on Raven to assist with her idea to do a giant slumber party for New Year's Eve, as the Tower was currently full of guests—something he'd forgotten about. He figured it was also just an excuse to get Raven alone and grill her about their date.

They were busy setting up the bags so everyone could ring in the new year, hang out together, and fall asleep in the common area. Raven was still in her date attire, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

He watched her move about the room with longing. Their time at the symphony had been picture perfect. Every last detail—until they'd gotten back to the Tower. As always, he wasn't sure how to behave now. They'd officially had a date. Things were different now, but he still wasn't sure how public she was ready to go with their relationship. And the fact that he _still_ hadn't kissed her was driving him insane.

He'd seen her under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. He'd wanted so badly to just cross the room and _do it_. But the other Titans had been around. Would she have been angry if he'd kissed her in front of them? Especially since it had been before they'd officially had a real date? But she'd been under the mistletoe with such a determined expression…

By the time he finally worked up the courage to do it, Starfire had jumped in and kissed her instead. He'd dragged his feet and missed his opportunity. After that, he'd been too spooked to try again.

Then tonight… There'd been a moment just before intermission. The theater had been dark, the music fitting. He'd turned to her and their gazes had caught. It was the _perfect_ moment. But again, he'd hesitated too long. Just as he'd finally been leaning toward her, the house lights had come on, and he'd missed his moment. Again.

Why was he finding it so hard to kiss her? He knew she wanted him to. He was just too afraid to take that plunge. It was a major step and he was terrified of screwing it up.

"So how'd the date go, Green Bean?" Cyborg asked from beside him as if reading his thoughts.

The Tower was fuller than usual. Members of Titans East had chosen to join them for the festivities—Kid Flash, Bumble Bee, Speedy, Aqualad. Jinx was there as well. Hence the big group pow wow for sleeping arrangements. It was bound to be a fun time. He just wished Cyborg hadn't mentioned his date in front of all the guys.

"You had a date?" Aqualad asked.

Beast Boy narrowed his eyes at the doubt in Garth's tone. "Yes, I had a date."

Wally crossed his arms over the lightning bolt logo emblazoned across his chest, intrigue written plainly in his features. "Do we know her? She a super hero?"

Beast Boy hesitated to answer his speedster friend. He hadn't been the one to bring it up, but he still didn't want Raven to think he was running his mouth and bragging about their date. "You know her…"

"It was Raven," Robin supplied in an even, almost uninterested voice to imply it was no big deal—something Beast Boy appreciated. If the news was going to be out there, playing it cool was probably the best way to go about it.

"Raven?" Roy asked with surprise.

Jinx sauntered over with a fancy glass of grape juice in hand. She rested her free arm on Wally's shoulder and stared Beast Boy down. "No way you had a date with Raven," she said sassily, cocking a hip.

Aqualad smirked. "Was she aware this was a date scenario? Or was this one of those delusional, wishful thinking type deals where the girl is oblivious?"

"Hey!" He and Garth had always been a bit competitive, but this teasing felt unnecessary. He shot Cyborg a dirty look for bringing the topic up, but his best friend merely smirked in amusement.

"Sorry," Wally said, not sounding all that sorry. "But Raven is super hot. And crazy picky."

"And totally out of your league," Jinx felt the need to add.

"She got dressed up," Robin supplied, trying to give Beast Boy an assist.

"But are you sure it was a real date?" Speedy asked. "She could have just been dressed up to fit the atmosphere."

Beast boy opened his mouth, but never got to defend himself.

Raven and Starfire were suddenly there.

Raven grabbed his arm and looped hers through his. "It was a real date," she said in her bored monotone. Then she tugged on his arm. "Come on. The ball is about to drop."

As one, the group headed over to the large monitor screens to participate in the traditional viewing that brought in the new year.

Wally was watching him with interest, while Garth frowned in his direction. It was obvious they hadn't been expecting Raven to back up his story.

"Hey…uh…sorry about that. I didn't bring up the date in front of them. Cyborg did."

She shrugged a shoulder, her eyes on the television screen. "It's not a big deal. I'm fully aware of how stupid guys get when they sense a reason to tease one another. And it's not like I'm embarrassed to be going out with you. It's fine."

He stared at her profile for a moment longer, feeling oddly surprised and more than a little touched that she wasn't at all bothered by their teasing, before following her gaze to the monitor. Two minutes. The ball would drop in two minutes. And he knew what was expected when that happened. He could already see couples gravitating toward one another. Starfire had a death grip on Robin's arm, as if she was afraid he might wander off. Wally had his arm over Jinx's shoulders and was whispering something in her ear. It seemed many people were pairing off.

One minute. In one minute, he would need to kiss Raven. Oh, he wanted to. More than wanted to. But he was terrified. What if the spark they felt just wasn't there? What if he missed? What if it was sloppy? He was out of practice, after all. What if… There were so many fears and "what ifs" running through his head.

Thirty seconds. And there were so many witnesses around. What if he messed things up and everyone saw? What if he'd misread things and she shoved him away? What if…

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…"

A countdown to their first kiss. _That doesn't add any pressure or anything_ , he thought sarcastically. He should have just kissed her on Christmas Eve. He should have kissed her at the symphony. There were a million instances when he should have kissed her, and he regretted each missed opportunity.

"Four…three…two…one! Happy New Year!"

He turned to Raven and knew his eyes must be wide and full of fear. "H-happy New Year, Raven."

"Happy New Year, Gar."

They stared at each other for a long moment. He was frozen. It was the moment of truth, and he couldn't move. She was going to think he didn't like her, when in actuality, he was crazy about her. She was going to think he'd changed his mind. She was going to think—

She let out a huffy sigh and shot him an impatient look. "Are you going to kiss me already or what?" Then she decided she was done waiting. Because she grabbed hold of his tie and tugged his mouth down to hers.

The instant their lips met, every worry flew from Beast Boy's mind. Sparks shot down his spine and energy crackled along his skin. The intensity in their kiss left no question as to whether they had any chemistry. They had so much chemistry it nearly made his knees buckle.

Her lips moved under his as she took control of this first exchange, guiding him.

But too soon for his liking, she was pulling back. She gazed up at him, her eyes wide. "Wow," she whispered.

"Yeah." He grinned. "Wow." Curving an arm around her waist, he pulled her toward him and captured her mouth again. There was not a single doubt in his mind—he was totally head over heels for Raven.

Her arms slipped around his neck and she arched up against his chest with a small whimper. Neither seemed to care that they were surrounded by their friends or that their kiss had turned into two…which turned into three. Let the others look. He'd waited too long to rush this moment. And it was, in a word, perfect.

OOOOO

"I still can't believe you're dating Raven," Wally said with a shake of his head.

"It is a little weird," Cyborg agreed. "The protective older brother in me wants to punch you in the face every time I see you eyeing her up. But the best friend side of me wants to congratulate you, because I know this is something you really wanted. It's a very confusing feeling."

Beast Boy laughed and sheepishly ran a hand along the back of his neck. "It's not a big deal." He looked at the girls across the room. They were all giggling at some joke Jinx had just told, no doubt at Wally's expense by the way they glanced over.

The Kid Flash grimaced and shook his head. "The dangers of dating an ex-villain. She can be vicious when she wants to be."

Garfield figured Wally could use a bit of teasing to keep his ego in check, so he didn't feel all that sorry for him.

"It is a big deal, though," Robin said, bringing attention back to Beast Boy. "Raven's a complicated person, and she doesn't open up easily." He shook his head with a little sigh. "Just…be careful with her. Okay?"

"You think she's going to hurt me?" he asked in surprise. Raven possessed immense power. She could crush him if she wanted…but he never feared that she would. Even if things fell apart, she would never hurt him.

"No. I'm worried _you'll_ hurt her."

Beast Boy turned to his leader in surprise. " _Me?_ "

Robin gave an apologetic shrug. "Like I said, she doesn't trust easily. And she's opened up to you. Just…don't hurt her."

"I would never hurt Raven."

Robin's lips quirked into a half smile. "I knew you'd say that. It's one of the reasons I told her she should go for it with you."

"You told her she should…"

Robin nodded. "I did. I think you can make her happy. Just…don't screw it up."

Beast Boy realized he was getting the "big brother" speech from Robin. It was amusing. But it was also endearing that both he and Cyborg cared so much. "I'll try my best."

"Well, you better," Cyborg said gruffly. "Or you'll have us to deal with."

Raven appeared from behind the largest Titan. "Stop giving him crap," she grumbled. Then she reached out and took Beast Boy's hand. "Come here. I want to show you something."

He shrugged at the others and followed her out of the kitchen, grateful for the reprieve. Robin and Cyborg could be scary when they were pissed off, and he did not want to be on the receiving end of their ire. "So what did you want to show me?" he asked jovially as he followed along beside her.

"That this room is empty." She tugged him into the main room, where all of the sleeping bags cluttered the floor. The television was still playing images of people celebrating across the country. It caused colored light to flicker around the darkened room.

"You wanted to show me that this room is empty," he repeated in confusion.

"Yeah." She spun to face him, a small smile on her lips. "We haven't had a moment alone since we got back. When I realized everyone else had converged in the kitchen…"

He smiled at her, suddenly understanding. The darkened room was intimate, and it would offer them at least a few minutes alone together without the prying eyes of their curious friends. "So…what did you want to do with these precious few minutes alone?"

"I think you have an idea," she said wryly.

He loved the dry tone of her voice, her muted humor. "I do have an idea," he confessed. When she made to move closer to him, he took a playful step back and motioned over his shoulder. "I'll find a piece of paper and we can start a competitive game of hangman…"

"Gar," she said warningly.

"Hmm?"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

"I thought you'd never ask," he said with amusement. There was less fear in him this time as he closed the distance between them and tugged her into his arms.

She came easily, sinking in against him. She tipped her mouth up toward his, and he immediately kissed her. It was a gentle and slow kiss. He wanted to take his time experiencing the wonder that was tasting her lips and feeling her feminine curves pressed against him. Each kiss with her was something he wanted to savor and cherish. He'd waited so long for this and he was going to relish every moment of it.

A soft sigh escaped her and she nuzzled closer, holding him tighter. When they broke apart, she kept her eyes closed for a long moment, as if she too wanted to memorize each gentle brush of lips. Finally, she blinked her eyes open and stared up at him with worried purple eyes. "I want this to work," she whispered.

"It will," he said easily.

"How do you know?"

He took her hand, leading her deeper into the room. This was a private conversation he didn't want anyone else to happen upon if they approached the doorway. "Because I'm willing to do anything to make sure it does."

"I'm not…normal. It won't be easy."

"I'm not normal either. I like that we're not normal. Normal is boring."

Her pleased expression glimmered in the light from the television. "I'm not much fun."

"You're plenty of fun." He leaned in and kissed her, reveling in the easy way she responded to each gentle brush of his lips to hers. "That right there. That was all kinds of fun." He sent her a look of amusement. "Besides, I'm not the easiest person to be around either. You may be surprised to hear this, but sometimes I can be rather annoying."

"No!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. All he cared about was that he'd taken that worried look from her eyes. She didn't need to worry, because wasn't going to ever let her go. Not without a fight.

"And with my skin tone, wearing the color yellow is pretty much out for you. We'd look awful standing next to each other if you wore yellow."

"And I love the color yellow so much," she said dryly.

"See? So life with me isn't going to be easy either." He got a foot tangled in one of the sleeping bags as they moved deeper into the room. He gave an embarrassing cry of surprise and nearly toppled to the ground. He had to grab onto her arm to steady himself. It totally ruined his "playing it cool" act. He'd thought he was handling things fairly well, keeping it light but conveying his opinions on the matter like a mature adult. Now, he just looked silly. He kicked his foot, trying to untangle himself from the bag. "Stupid thing," he grumbled.

She giggled lightly and with an easy display of her powers, untangled his foot. "I must agree, they seem rather stupid. I just didn't want to hurt Starfire's feelings, so I agreed to help set them up. Honestly, I don't see the point in sleeping on the floor when my own bed is a thirty second walk away."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "You don't like sleepovers?"

"I've never been to a sleepover," she admitted. "But everything I've heard sounds stupid. Pillow fights and girls in revealing pajamas, gossiping and playing useless games like spin the bottle. None of that holds appeal to me."

"Okay, that doesn't sound all that bad to _me_ …" He let out a playful laugh. "But you've got it all wrong. That's a male fantasy of a girls' slumber party. And probably not all that accurate. This one is not going to be like that. It should just be a lot of fun. I promise you—no pillow fights." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "And come on, the sleeping bags could be fun. They're pretty intimate, right?"

"How could they possibly be intimate?" she asked dryly. "I'll be wrapped up like a burrito, unable to move."

"You could join me in my sleeping bag." He felt his face flame the instant he made the offer. The mental image of Raven snuggled up in his sleeping bag… Now that the thought was in his head, he wanted it more than anything. He didn't care that they'd only just had their first date earlier this evening. Or that they'd only kissed for the first time an hour ago. He couldn't get enough of her. The thought of having her curled up against him all night—

"How? Two of us aren't going to fit in that thing."

"Have you never heard of zipping them together?" he asked in amazement.

"Now why would I have ever heard of that?" she asked as he dropped to his knees and began tugging the zipper on one of the bags all the way open.

"It's a little tricky, but it will totally be worth it." He grabbed a second bag and undid the zipper until the bag lay all the way open. Then he brought the two together and began zipping them back up into one giant sleeping bag. Once he was done, he sat back on his heels to admire his handy work. "Voila! A double wide sleeping bag!"

Moving to a seated position, he kicked off his shoes and then shoved his legs into the bag. When he looked up, Raven was starting down at him with an unconvinced expression on her face.

"And what exactly is the point of this?"

"Come in here and I'll show you." His lips quirked into a grin, though his heart pounded wildly in his chest. The others were right. He was totally out of his league here. Raven was super hot, super picky, and super serious. She wasn't the type to find amusement in things like double wide sleeping bags. Was he out of his mind for trying to convince her to do this?

She stared down at him for a long moment. Then with a put-upon sigh, she kicked off her shoes. Careful not to kick him, she slid into the sleeping bag next to him.

He grinned, feeling ecstatic that she'd at least given it a try. "So what do you—"

Before he could complete his sentence, she surged forward and kissed him.

The sudden movement caught him by surprise, but he was quick to respond. Her kiss, though she'd lunged at him, was tentative and cautious. It brought a smile to his lips and had him curling an arm around her waist to tug her closer.

She melted against him, her body tucking in against his as if they were pieces of a puzzle. He ran his palm over her hip, along her waist. Raven was like an addiction to him, one he could never get enough of. Like he'd told Cyborg, he'd been crushing on her since that very first eye roll. It was why he bothered her so much, because even her eye rolls sped his heart. He'd always thought she was super hot when she was agitated. And all he wanted was her attention. He knew perhaps that was a bit messed up, but he was a strange guy. And now, he didn't need to direct her irritation his way. He had something better.

He deepened the kiss, his fingers grazing the skin of her back where there was a gap between her tank top and sweatpants she'd changed into after the ball dropped. It boggled his mind that her skin could be so soft. She was so tough in a fight, so powerful, but her skin felt like silk. She was unbelievably soft and feminine, something no one would ever guess if they only witnessed her in battle.

She brought his attention back from his wandering thoughts when she ran her foot along his ankle, drawing a small groan of appreciation from him. He'd been wanting to do this for months and now here he was, making out with Raven in a sleeping bag. How the hell had he gotten so lucky?

He kissed her again, his mouth exploring hers—something he could do all night. He knew kissing her was something he would never grow tired of. Feeling a little daring, he curved his palms over her backside.

As he did, her hand snuck under his dress shirt. Her own palm grazed along his abdomen, her fingertips delving in the grooves of his stomach muscles. It was almost an overload of sensations. He wanted her closer. Unable to resist this desire, he rolled onto his back and tugged her on top of him.

Her legs slid around his hips, her body curved along his. But in that instant, as he took in the shocked expression on her face, her widened eyes, something monumental occurred to him. Something he'd never paused to consider before—he was fairly certain Raven was a virgin.

He could see it in the nervous way she shifted on top of him, in the blush on her cheeks, in the awkward way her hands slipped against his chest as if she didn't know what to do with them. And in that instant, every beast inside of him flared to the surface. He was hit with an overwhelming desire to claim, to dominate.

With a hand to the back of her neck, he tugged her mouth down to his and kissed her roughly. It didn't matter that he himself was a virgin as well. Sure, he'd stolen a kiss here and there on dates, but living the life of a super hero didn't really leave much room for serious relationships. His experience was just as limited as hers, but his beasts didn't care. They wanted her. More than they ever had before. His intimidating, strong, and confident Raven had one part of herself where she wasn't completely knowledgeable. She might be scary as hell on a battlefield, but here she was timid and uncertain. He didn't know why, but that was a complete turn on. Perhaps it was knowing that no one else had ever known her as intimately as he did right now. Or knowing there was a part of her that was still vulnerable and soft, a side only he saw.

She offered a small, helpless whimper of desire into his mouth, and her legs settled more comfortably around his hips. She rocked against him, her mouth responding with just as much enthusiasm as his.

He ran his hands down her back, caressing her spine as she cupped his face and kissed him again. He really could do this all night…but as she rocked her hips against his again, he knew he had to stop. He couldn't let himself get carried away. This was not the time or place for such a thing, especially if neither of them had ever…

"Raven," he whispered against her lips. With a gentle hand to her shoulder, he pushed her slightly away from him. "We should stop."

She blinked down at him, her eyes slightly unfocused. "W…why?"

"Because I don't think we want our friends to walk in on us like this." It was bad enough his erection was pressed up against her hip. He did not want anyone else to realize just how excited he was to be around her. "And because I've never…done anything like this before." He'd been hesitant to admit his lack of experience, but he didn't want her to feel awkward about her own.

"Oh…" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! I'd just assumed… I'm actually glad that… Well, me either."

"And I don't think we want to go much further than this…on a floor hoping our friends don't walk in on us."

She licked her lips and shook her head with a little laugh. "No. We do not." Then she sent him a mocking little glare. "Though I don't know why you thought things were heading any further. This was only a first date, after all."

He snickered. "I will fully admit that if you kept kissing me like that, I was going to embarrass myself. You've got me…" He closed his eyes in mortification. "All riled up," he finally confessed.

"Gee, I didn't notice," she said wryly. For effect, she wiggled ever so slightly on his lap.

He gave a groan and gripped her hips, holding her still. "You're going to kill me if you keep doing that." With a gentle movement, he guided her to lie beside him once more. His hand curled around her waist and he pulled her in against his chest, but it was a more innocent position than before. Leaning down, he gave her a soft, chaste kiss. "I do enjoy kissing you though."

She smiled against his lips, snuggling closer. "I enjoy kissing you too." She proved this point by doing just that. "Though this is going to be quite an adjustment. Much of the time I want to strangle you. Now the other half I'm going to want…this. It's an odd combination."

He chuckled lightly. "I can't promise to annoy you any less. It's far too much fun." He nuzzled his nose against hers. "But I do promise to try to give you plenty of reasons to make out with me too."

She let out a huffy sigh that was ruined by her grin. "I suppose I didn't really expect anything less."

"Look on the bright side, our relationship will never be boring."

She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"What can I say, I'm irresistible." He kissed her following frown away.

She gave a soft sound of contentment and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair. Her next kiss turned into a second one Which turned into a third. Each one was lazier than the last and more spaced out. After the fourth kiss, she moved her head to his shoulder and exhaled tiredly.

His gaze flicked to the clock to discover it was nearly two in the morning. With a content sigh, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, allowing her to drift off. He was nearly asleep himself when he heard voices from the doorway.

"Should we do the waking of our friends?" Starfire asked.

"Nah. Let them sleep," Cyborg said in return. "Pretty sure BB would have our heads if we interrupted this."

Starfire responded with an excited little giggle. "They are most adorable. I cannot wait to do the date of the doubles."

Their voices drifted off back down the hallway. With a content smile, Beast Boy snuggled in deeper into the sleeping bag and allowed himself to drift off with the girl of his dreams pressed up against his side. They both understood their relationship might be difficult at times, but it was going to be totally worth it. He would make sure of that.


	5. Chapter 5: First Valentines

_Hyuuga Mitha—I was chuckling as I wrote the Starfire mistletoe kiss scene. Because it was such a Star thing to do. I'm glad you found humor in it._

 _Anonymoose—A marriage proposal? I've got it all mapped out, so I know the answer already, but you'll have to wait and see! *evil laugh*_

 _Golem XIV—Garfield keeping his head above water. Yep, that about describes it. He's managing to stay afloat. Poor guy. So out of his depth._

 _Mr. Ursine—I plan to do an entire year. A YEAR of small moments. We're only five months in, so I've got plenty more ideas for how their year is going to go. Hopefully the following months continue to be good reads for you!_

 _I had so much fun with this chapter. I recommend all readers go listen to the Struts song "Body Talks" before or after reading this to get a real feel for the one scene in here. This is the second Struts song I've used for a BBRae fic. I'm not overly obsessed with the band or anything, but they are so much fun. Every time I hear one of their songs, it just makes me think it is the type of thing our favorite green changeling would listen to. So go listen to the song! And envision the fun BBRae vibes! I'm serious! Go listen to it!_

 **First Valentines**

Raven stared at herself in the mirror and tried not to flinch as Starfire ran a brush roughly through her hair. "Are you sure this is entirely necessary?" she asked, her tone wary. Her hair had grown some over the past few months, and Starfire had insisted on braiding it for Raven's date tonight. She'd insisted on doing a lot actually.

It wasn't that Raven didn't appreciate her friend's help. She did. It was just that…well, Starfire was making her nervous. She wasn't used to it, and she didn't like it.

"Of course it is the necessary," Starfire said as she separated Raven's hair into three sections and began carefully braiding it. "This is your first Valentine's Day with boyfriend Beast Boy. It is the most important Valentine's Day you will have. Everything has to be _perfect_."

Raven flinched. "But does it? I would be perfectly fine if the two of us just hung out and—"

"No!" Starfire said in horror, yanking at Raven's hair as she tightened the braid. Raven made a face at her that the alien princess ignored. "You will not do the "hanging out". Not on Valentine's Day. This is the night where he will either fall in love with you or he will not. It is most important that things go exactly as planned."

Raven wrung her hands together in her lap as Starfire wrapped a band around the end of her hair. Exactly as planned. Only, she wasn't sure what the plan was. Gar falling madly and completely in love with her already felt kind of…scary. Why did there have to be so much pressure on one stupid day? It wasn't fair that so many decisions seemed to ride on one dinner date.

This past month had been terrifying but amazing. It had been stressful…and wonderful. Things with Beast Boy were better than she could have ever expected. He hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't stop tormenting her, and she actually found she liked it. Sure, she was agitated when he bothered her, but it was nice to know that their day to day life hadn't changed too drastically. But as promised, he'd also given her plenty of reasons to kiss him too. Her mind went to a few of the heated moments they'd stolen, and she felt her cheeks flush. The point was, things were perfect as the were. Why did they have to change?

"Yes, but Gar and I—"

Instead of letting her finish, Starfire let out a squeal of excitement. "I love it when you call him Gar. It's so romantic."

Raven frowned. "Um…that's his name."

"You don't call Cyborg Victor," she said in a sing-song voice as she pressed a few sparkling gems into Raven's braided hair.

She had a point. Not that Raven would ever admit to that. "Am I done yet?" she grumbled instead. She examined her hair in the giant mirror and frowned. She looked like that chick from Frozen, with her big long braid…Elsa! That was it. Her hair looked a lot like Elsa's. Except it was purple instead of blonde. She couldn't picture anyone farther from a Disney princess than herself, so the look felt…odd.

"Just let me finish up your makeup," Starfire said jovially.

"Wait. We already did my makeup." And she'd protested the entire time. It had felt like way too much. Layer after layer after layer…

"Earlier, we did your contouring. Then some coverup. And then I put a sparkly finishing powder on top. I still have to do eye shadow, blush, eye liner, lip liner, and lip stick."

Raven's eyes widened at this. "That's way too many layers."

"It's Valentine's Day."

Raven pouted, which seemed to please Starfire.

"Perfect! I'll start with the lips." And then she attacked Raven with a long, thin, pink stick.

The empath had no choice but to sit and permit the extra makeup, as Starfire had such a strong grip on her face. She watched as pink bloomed on her lips…then her cheeks. And then finally emerald green streaked across her eyelids. She blinked at herself, not sure if she liked the finished product or not. It was pretty. But… "Isn't this a bit much?" she asked when Starfire released her face.

"It's your first Valentine's Day," the alien princess came back. "It can never be enough." Grabbing Raven's arm, she tugged her to her feet. Snatching up a bottle of perfume, she circled Raven, spraying liberally.

Raven wiggled her nose at the overpowering scent of flowers. "Gar has a sensitive sense of smell. That might be too much—"

"It isn't." Before Raven could protest, Starfire spun her toward the door and pushed her in the direction of the hallway. "Now go find him. He's not going to be able to resist you."

Raven inched into the hallway, feeling somewhat exposed. She rubbed her bare arms, wishing she had a jacket. She missed the security of her cloak. It made her feel safe. The flowy, sleeveless black dress she wore was gorgeous—she would give that to Starfire—but it was rather low cut in the chest area. And from her waist down was just sheer wisps of fabric, looking much like a ballerina or dancer's outfit. If she moved the wrong way, she exposed herself all the way up to her hip. She wasn't sure what kind of message that sent out.

She'd planned to take the walk to Beast Boy's room to collect herself, but she turned the corner and nearly ran smack into his chest. The expression on his face was one of distraction, and he nearly didn't see her. As it was, they still collided and he grabbed her arms to keep from knocking her over.

"Sorry!"

As his hands fell away from her, she noticed his nose twitch, as if he'd just smelled something unpleasant. Internally, she scowled. She'd told Starfire the perfume was too strong! His expression was one of appreciation though as he took in her outfit, so she forced herself to relax.

"You look amazing," he said softly. "I don't know why I let it still surprise me that you get more beautiful every single day. Since the first time I laid eyes on you. You think I'd be used to it by now."

She flushed and ducked her face down toward the carpet. With her head lowered, she snuck a quick look at him. He was dressed formally—like _way_ formally. His suit was black and sleek, the jacket buttoned in the front. His tie was tightly done and tucked into his suit. His hair was slicked back off of his face. He looked handsome—of course he did, he always looked handsome to her—but he looked so…different. And that was making her even more nervous. Was he putting pressure on this date as predicted? Had Starfire been right? "You look nice."

"Thanks. I had Robin's help." The inflection he put on the word 'help' made her wonder if Robin's help was kind of like Starfire's help—forced and kind of unwanted. Before she could ask, he offered her a small smile. "Are you ready to go? I rented a limo to take us to the restaurant."

"A limo?" she asked in surprise. What did they need a limo for? She could teleport them anywhere they needed to go. It seemed like a waste of his hard-earned money. "Oh…okay."

His smile this time was a little tight. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he led the way to the elevator. They rode down in silence…a silence that continued inside the limo.

Raven sat on the stretched seat, her hands tucked into her lap, and stared down at her feet. The silence seemed to stretch uncomfortably. And she suddenly felt like a little kid playing dress up. All of this makeup, the fancy shoes…it wasn't her. It was making her feel awkward. Which it turn was making things with _him_ feel awkward.

She desperately searched her brain for something to say. But she'd never been good at small talk. He usually carried their conversations. A quick glance at him out of the corner of her eye showed him scowling down at his own shoes.

Was Starfire right? Was this the night he either fell in love with her or he didn't? Was he deciding he _didn't_? That thought terrified her. Their month together had been short, but it had seemed _good_. And he'd said…

Her mind flashed back to New Year's Eve when he'd promised to do whatever it took to make their relationship work. Had he grown bored of that already? She should have tried harder. She should have—

"Here you go." The driver came to a slow stop in front of a ritzy hotel in the center of the city. It was a fancier place than she'd ever been to, much fancier than their dinner on New Year's Eve—and that in itself had been a nice, dressy establishment. There was a restaurant inside this hotel that cost the proverbial arm and a leg to dine at. He'd apparently gone to a lot of trouble to make sure they had an extravagant meal.

"We're eating here?" she asked, feeling panic start to build in her chest.

He nodded, sliding out of the limo. "Yeah…here."

When he reached back for her hand to help her out of the limo it helped to settle her nerves at least somewhat. Sure, their date hadn't exactly started on the greatest note, but that didn't mean it couldn't improve. They'd just barely gotten to the restaurant. Things would be fine. They'd just needed to let go of those initial nerves. She had to relax. That was always a challenge for her, and she knew this night would be even more so, but she still needed to try.

She licked her lips nervously before shifting her grip on his hand to his entire arm. She pressed herself against it, hoping the move didn't come off as too needy. But damn it, she felt needy. She wanted him to assure her that she was being crazy, that nothing had changed.

She'd never been a needy person. She'd always been self-reliant. But then again, she'd never cared about anyone like this before either. She was coming to realize she cared about Beast Boy more deeply and quickly than she'd anticipated and that was a scary discovery. She didn't know how to deal with the fact that she was developing emotions quicker than she could process them. Where her powers were concerned, such a thing could be dangerous. She needed his assurance that they could handle this, that he could keep her from losing control.

Unfortunately, all it had taken was a little bit of social pressure and an awkward limo ride to break down the small bit of confidence she'd felt in this relationship. She'd thought she'd been doing all right, but now she wondered…

She allowed her concerns to dance fretfully in her head while he spoke to the hostess. Then she followed almost blindly to their table. It was only when the hostess gave her a disapproving look that she realized she was still clinging to him.

Embarrassed, she released his arm and claimed her seat.

The woman looked down her nose at Raven, before offering a little sniff. "Your server will be over shortly."

Perhaps it was paranoia, but it seemed as if her words practically dripped with disapproval. And she didn't know why that bothered her so much. She was used to disapproval. Reporters gave her crap all the time—she was too dark, she was too grumpy, she was too emotionless. But she'd never been accused of being too clingy, so the implied look cut deeper than most other insults.

She realized her eyes had been in her lap for a few long moments, so she forcibly drew them up.

Gar was staring at her with a look of uncertainty. He ran a hand along the back of his neck and offered her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

It was obvious he was just as nervous as she was, but that did little to settle her nerves. What was wrong with them? They'd never been this awkward around each other, not even when they'd been arguing or at each other's throats.

Wanting desperately to eliminate the awkwardness, she attempted conversation. "Gar, I—"

Before she could finish, the waiter appeared at their table, interrupting her. Maybe it was just her projecting things, but he seemed just as pretentious as the hostess. Perhaps it was due to the way his lips were pursed and he was gazing at them as if they didn't quite belong. "My name is Carter. I'll be your server this evening. Can I start the two of you off with drinks?"

Raven caught his subtle glance at Beast Boy's uncovered hands and the hint of disgust that followed. Anger welled instantly inside of her, and her silverware rattled on the table as she fought to control her dark energy.

Garfield shot her a curious look but turned his attention to the waiter. "I'll take a water with lemon."

Carter shifted his gaze to Raven.

"I'll have the same," she mumbled weakly.

"And we'll take an appetizer," Beast Boy said quickly, before the waiter could disappear. He snatched up the menu and perused its contents. "Could we have the fruit salad, please? To split."

Raven arched a brow at him ordering for her but remained silent.

"To share," the waiter said with a tight smile, and this time Raven was sure she heard disapproval. Just what was this guy's problem? There were a few people out there who feared super heroes. They said people with abilities should be locked up. Was this man one of those types? Or was he merely just a snob who looked down on two young adults playing grown up? Either way, it made her deeply uncomfortable.

"I'll be right back for your orders." With that, Carter disappeared.

"He's…uh…a real treat, huh?"

Raven merely grunted.

Beast Boy ran a hand along the back of his neck, his eyes moving away from hers. "Sorry about ordering for you. I just…" He shrugged. "I'm feeling a little…" He trailed off, his eyes locking on hers. "Nervous," he finally supplied in a strained voice. "I just wanted something to…" He waved a hand carelessly in the air. "And I knew you liked fruit, so…"

"It's fine," she assured. She hated that he seemed just as nervous as she felt. Again, she wondered what was happening to them.

He cleared his throat, his fingers tapping nervously against the table. "You really do look nice."

"Thanks. Though Starfire is the one who deserves the credit. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect."

He let out a little snort at that. "Perfect…yeah."

The bitterness he put on that word caused her pause. Was he irritated because of the pressure that had been put on this date? Or was he irritated because it was going far from perfect at the moment?

She never got a chance to ask, because Carter appeared with a small bowl of fruit, which he placed between them.

Happy for a distraction, she reached for her silverware. There were four forks and she had no clue which one she was supposed to use. The fact that Carter was still standing over her practically oozing judgement didn't help matters. Biting her lip, she danced her fingers over them before randomly selecting one.

"That's a salad fork," Carter said haughtily.

"Well, this is a fruit _salad_ ," she snapped back. Putting the fork down rather roughly, she reached for another.

"That's a cocktail fork."

Aggravated, she slammed the fork down and placed her hands in her lap. "Could you please point the correct fork out to me then?" she asked. It took everything in her to keep her tone even close to civil. She was reaching her limit. One more nasty comment and there were going to be some shattered plates.

Sniffing, Carter reached toward her silverware, but before he could advise her, Garfield's voice broke into the conversation.

"Fuck this."

Raven blinked, sure she had heard him incorrectly. "Excuse me?"

"I said fuck this." His green eyes lifted to hers. "Fuck this place. Fuck Carter." He shot the waiter a look that gave zero apology. "Fuck things needing to be perfect. Fuck this date. Just…fuck all of it."

Raven gaped at him, not used to hearing such language from him.

"I'm serious." Reaching for his wallet, he tossed a twenty-dollar bill onto the table. "That ought to more than cover the fruit." Then he turned to Raven and offered her a hand. "Let's go. This fancy, pretentious stuff—it isn't us. We let social pressures dictate our evening. I say forget that. Let's go have fun. It's our Valentine's Day. No one else's."

She couldn't have stopped the grin that spread across her face even if she'd tried. His words were like music to her ears. "Let's get out of here." She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

"You can't just—leave," Carter stuttered. "You made a reservation and—" He broke off with a sharp intake of air when Raven flicked him off as she and Beast Boy took off for the restaurant exit.

Beast Boy arched his brows and burst into laughter. "Oh my god, you just gave him the finger!" He tugged her into the hallway of the hotel, pulling her closer to him. "I've never seen you do that! Not even to jackass reporters! I am amazed." His face was full of delight and he gave a mocking bow. "My hat is off to your marvelous display of aggravation."

The truth was, she'd done it for him. She was used to reporters picking on her. She could take it. But seeing the way their waiter had looked at Garfield's hands as if there was something wrong with them just because they were green—as Gar had warned her people did—it had broken her heart. That man deserved more than a middle finger.

"I think I just witnessed something special. Like finding my white whale. I—" He suddenly broke off, his expression becoming one of downright glee. "I love this song."

His change in topic was jolting and she found herself shooting him a look of confusion. "What?"

"This song! I love this song." He turned and motioned toward the banquet hall farther off into the hotel. "At that wedding."

She stared at him for a moment, her brow raised. It was an odd jump and she wasn't sure what he was expecting from her. "Okay…"

"Come on!" He grabbed her hand and took off down the hallway toward the doors to the banquet room.

Raven had no choice but to follow or be dragged down. "What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.

As he reached the doors, he grinned at her over his shoulder. "I want to dance."

His plans suddenly came to light and she shook her head in horror. "No." At his responding nod and grin, she shook her head again. "Gar, no! We are not crashing that wedding."

"Oh, we totally are." And with that, he threw open the door to the banquet room. He hurried inside, dragging her along behind him.

"Gar! Gar, no! Stop!" She was hissing, trying not to draw attention to them. But it was hard to hide when his skin was bright green and she was causing tables to tremor in her alarm. She noticed heads turning in their direction as Beast Boy hauled her out onto the dance floor.

There were a few proclamations of surprise. People pointed. A few laughed in amusement. And then—to her horror—Beast Boy started singing. Loudly. She would possibly say at the top of his lungs as he battled with the lead vocalist for air space. "I need to know, know, know. What do you need, need, need? What do you like, like, like? Because I'm going to be it tonight."

Then as the music picked up, he grabbed hold of his suit jacket and unbuttoned it to the music. A whistle sounded and a few female attendees began clapping. Gar whipped off his jacket and windmilled it through the air before tossing it to the side. Then he grabbed his shirt and untucked it from his pants. His tie was next. He tugged at it, slackening it until it hung loosely around his neck. "You could be cool, you could be shy. Say what you want, say what you like. 'Cause ooh, your body talks, your body talks. Ooh, ooh your body talks."

His gaze on Raven's, his eyes twinkling with amusement, he began dancing like a maniac. He kicked his feet around. He circled his arm above his head in a dramatic show of air guitar. He whipped his head around, his green hair coming out of its neatly gelled placement, giving him an almost wild look. "You could pretend you don't want it now. But I read the signs from your head to your toes. Yeah you don't need to say a word 'cause ooh, ooh your body talks."

As the singer's voice dropped, becoming seductive and sultry, Gar winked at her. He strutted in her direction, singing along. "Your lips are a conversation. That face is a song." He circled her, teasingly trailing his fingers along her shoulders as he circled back around to the front of her. "If it's my imagination. Stop me if I'm wrong."

One of the wedding attendees gave a laughing screech of delight. Another whistle sounded. Raven could see the bride clapping her hands to the beat. The groom had a wide grin on his face. She was surprised to find they were enjoying this. Then she realized she shouldn't be surprised. Beast Boy had always been known for being the fun Titan. And the city loved him. It only made sense that him crashing a wedding would be a positive thing, not the annoyance she'd been anticipating.

Biting her bottom lip to hide her giddy smile, she shook her head in amusement as he waggled a finger at her. He was incorrigible. He was also downright sexy right now. And he was all hers.

Giving in, she rolled her eyes and began bobbing a single shoulder to the beat as he continued to sing.

"I need to know, know, know. What do you need, need, need? What do you like, like, like? Because I'm going to be it tonight," he sang, to the chanting claps of the wedding guests.

As the beat picked up once again, Raven went all in. She jumped forward toward him and kicked her feet as he'd done earlier, dancing and swinging her hips to the pounding drumbeat. She spun in a circle, mocking his air guitar moves of earlier.

Beast Boy gaped at her for a moment, completely missing the chorus this time. The words went on without him, and Raven had to come to a stop in her dancing because she was laughing so hard at the expression on his face.

The moment she slowed, he jumped back in. He grabbed her hand and spun her around, twirling her and twirling her until she became dizzy. All the while, he sang out the words to the song. "You could pretend you don't want it now. But I read the signs from your head to your toes. Yeah you don't need to say a word 'cause ooh, ooh your body talks."

He stopped spinning her and despite the fact that she stumbled momentarily on her feet, she recovered quickly and followed his next series of dance moves, laughing the whole while. She didn't know the song, but when the same word was repeated over and over, she jumped in. "Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh. Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh. Ooh ooh ooh ooh oh. Oooh."

Beast Boy suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her in tightly against his chest, laughing as he swayed her against him. "Ooh, your body talks, your body talks. Ooh, your body talks."

She idly wondered if her body _did_ talk. Because if he was picking up what was going through her mind, she would have been blushing. She'd never been more attracted to him in her entire life. And it wasn't just because he had to be the most fun person she knew. It was because he could find enjoyment in nearly anything. He'd found it in her, hadn't he? Where most people were unable. He was just so…happy.

As there was a small silence in the song that screamed of the beat picking up again—and hard—his expression became almost naughty and he inclined his head at her. That was all the warning she got before his hands suddenly gripped her hips and he whipped her into the air.

The beat came back as her feet left the ground.

"You could be cool, you could be shy. Say what you want, say what you like," Beast Boy sang as he swung her back down. Much like a swing dancer, her brought her legs down around his hips, dipping her head nearly to the floor.

She clung to his shoulders in surprise, but went along with the movement. She was ready when he whipped her back up and planted her on her feet. The screams of excited wedding guests hit her ears and she sent him a smirk of disbelieving amusement.

As Gar continued his singing, the two of them danced around like maniacs on the floor. She yanked the binding tie out of her hair and raked her fingers through it, freeing her long locks. She swung her head around, letting her now wavy hair whip around her. Through a curtain of violet locks, she saw Beast Boy bopping around, dancing as if he didn't have a care in the world. And who knew, maybe he didn't.

"Shake your hips. It's on your lips. You don't need to say a word 'cause ooh, ooh your body talks," Gar sang the final words and the song came to an abrupt end. Just as suddenly, he was pulling her toward him. "That was amazing!" He cupped her face with his hands, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You were dancing. In front of people. And you…" Unable to find the words, he instead captured her lips with his own.

The kiss was passionate and wild. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. This was what their night had been missing. The spontaneity. That Beast Boy touch. The moment they'd stopped listening to what everyone else thought was right for their relationship and started being themselves, everything had fallen perfectly back into place.

She tilted her face up to his and he deepened the kiss, his mouth moving seductively over hers.

When they finally broke apart, she saw the bride and groom staring at them with wide eyed amazement.

As Raven took a step back from Beast Boy, the groom rushed forward. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen!" He reached out and vigorously shook Beast Boy's hand. "Have you guys eaten? Tell me you're hungry. We're getting you plates." He turned and yelled over his shoulder to one of the other groomsmen. "Yo, Stan! Get these guys some food!"

The bride stepped in where the groom left off, her gaze glued to Raven. "You have to stay for a little bit. Eat. Dance some more." Then she let out a little squeal of excitement. "You are my favorite Titan. Your hair is just so gorgeous. I keep telling Kyle that I'm going to dye my hair that color, but I'm just not as brave as you are!"

Raven blinked at her in astonishment. Wait…she was getting _positive_ feedback? She never got positive feedback. She jerked back to attention as a plate was shoved into her hands.

"Please eat," the bride said chipperly. "Then we totally want a photo with the two of you." She grinned giddily at them. "This just made my wedding. Seriously." She set them with an approving look. "You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen."

With that, she and the groom took their leave, giving Raven and Beast Boy a chance to eat their dinner.

Guiding Raven to an empty table, Garfield slid into a seat. "Who needs to pay for some overpriced fancy dinner when we can crash weddings and eat for free?"

Shaking her head, Raven slipped into the seat beside his. "You're crazy."

"Crazy for you."

When he leaned over to kiss her again, she didn't even hesitate. She didn't care who was looking. There was nothing more she wanted in the world than to kiss this man.

OOOOO

Raven slid across the limo seat, making room for Beast Boy. "I can't believe you paid this thing to wait for us to finish dinner."

Garfield rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, Robin told me that was the gentlemanly thing to do."

Raven took his hand and tugged him closer to her on the seat. "You don't need to do that sort of stuff with me. I don't need a fancy limo. I can teleport us anywhere we want. I'm just happy being with you."

"Ditto."

From up front, the limo driver shot them a curious look. "Where to?"

"Back to the Tower," Beast Boy instructed. Once the privacy window was back up in place, he turned in his seat to face Raven. Then his mouth was on hers.

She was caught by surprise by the sudden show of affection, but had no objections to it. Smiling against his lips, she moved closer, easily responding. As his hand grazed affectionately along her waist, she marveled at the fact that every bit of awkwardness had evaporated, like it had never existed. It made her vow never to let their friends interfere in their relationship again. She knew Starfire meant well and held no hard feelings against the alien princess, but the others didn't understand that there was nothing normal about herself and Beast Boy. They would never have a normal relationship, nor did they want one. They were going to do their own thing, even if it caused a few raised brows.

Garfield deepened the kiss, tugging her closer.

She pulled her feet up on the seat, tucking them behind her as she leaned into his chest. Had anyone told her six months ago that her favorite hobby would be making out with Beast Boy, she would have cursed them to a trash hole. But it had most definitely become her favorite hobby.

Her lips parted and Beast Boy immediately darted his tongue into her mouth to brush against her own. The sensation was new and surprising, but it wasn't unpleasant. She leaned closer and gripped the front of his shirt in a fist. She lost herself in kissing him. It was still so new to her, and she still found it surprising how much she enjoyed it.

The privacy divider came down and the limo driver looked at them in his rearview mirror. "I do hate to make you two come up for air, but we've arrived at your destination."

Blushing, Raven pulled back, covering her mouth with her hand. She could only imagine her lipstick was smeared.

Garfield merely laughed and gave the diver a thumbs up. "Thanks a lot, man." With a little wave, he exited the limo. Grabbing Raven's hand, he tugged her out beside him. He gave the driver a generous tip, then pulled her away from the street.

As they started the short walk to the Tower, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Let's not go in just yet. Let's take a walk on the beach."

There was probably no one home. Starfire and Robin had their own plans to celebrate the holiday, and Cyborg had a date. They would have had privacy inside, but the beach sounded nice. It was something calm and peaceful after their rather hectic night. "That sounds nice." She smiled when he linked their fingers together and followed him around the side of the Tower toward the water.

"I still can't believe I got you to dance," he said with a laugh, breaking the silence.

"Neither can I," she said dryly. "You're completely ruining my reputation as an evil badass." And no doubt by morning the entire world would know they were an item. She was usually a very private person, but it didn't bother her as much as she'd thought it would.

"There's no way anyone could ever doubt how much of a bad ass you are. That will never be in question." He winked playfully at her. "But maybe they'll start thinking I'm more menacing than I am since I was able to land you."

She snorted with laughter. "Somehow I doubt that will ever happen either."

He chuckled, leading her along to the edge of the water. "We're just proof of the old saying that opposites attract."

Opposites they were. And there was definite attraction.

As if he'd suddenly found the perfect stretch of beach, Beast Boy dropped to the sand and stared out at the ocean.

With a little smirk, she kicked her shoes off, tucked her dress underneath her, and sat down beside him. For a few minutes, they stared silently into the horizon. The sun had long set, but the moon was full and bright, reflecting off of the water to give her just enough light to see him in.

She glanced at his profile before giving a content sigh. "This is really nice." Months ago, she hadn't known if he was able to be quiet, to be calm. Now, she saw the moments of peace in him. She knew there were times where he was serious. All these years he'd merely been annoying her to get her attention. It was kind of cute.

"It is nice. I'm glad we ditched that pretentious date. This is much better," he said, draping an arm over her shoulders.

"It is. And getting to hear you drop the F-bomb was rather amusing." She snickered at the memory as she leaned in against his side.

"Yeah, well, I didn't like the way he was treating you," he said softly. "Guess I do have a darker side to me after all."

"I'm not into all of that damsel in distress stuff, but it was really nice to have someone defend my honor. So thank you." She fell silent, staring out at the gleaming ocean, listening to its dulled roar. It was nice just to sit in peaceful silence and enjoy his company.

After a moment, Gar turned to her. With a finger under her chin, he tilted her face in his direction. He stared into her eyes for a long moment. Then lowered his mouth to hers.

There was an unmistakable heat and intent in his kiss. She could tell instantly that it was different than any other kiss they'd shared. It held promise of so much more. Understanding exactly where he was headed with this, she saved him time and climbed into his lap, straddling it. Her mouth moved possessively over his, her hands smoothing along the collar of his shirt.

His hands caressed her back, toying with the ends of her hair.

A giggle escaped her when he nipped at her bottom lip with his fang, but she quickly grew serious again when he deepened the kiss.

His mouth became more demanding, and his hands went to her thighs. His fingers deftly disappeared beneath the flimsy material of her skirt to caress along her bare skin.

She gave a soft sound of surprise at the heat that pooled in her stomach from that simple touch. She was normally so chilly, so cold, but he managed to set her skin on fire. Her body acted on its own, and her hips rocked against his. She could feel his budding arousal and it spiked her desire for him.

As her hips rocked into his again and his fingers danced along her inner thigh, she realized she was going to need to visit her doctor soon. As embarrassing as the thought might seem, she needed to get on birth control. Things between herself and Gar were progressing, and she knew where that led. The thought frightened her, but it also excited her as well. She was surprised to find she wanted to take that next step. She wanted to have sex with him.

It was something she'd thought she'd never experience. Her powers were too out of control, her emotions too venomous. But things had changed over the years, and the things she once thought she could never have might actually be within her reach.

Of course, she would need to be careful. She would need to proceed cautiously. But there was no one she trusted more than Gar. There was no one else she could ever envision herself doing that with than him.

That thought cemented in her mind, she allowed herself to give in to the act of kissing him. She was allowed to do this. She was allowed to enjoy herself and feel sexy. She was allowed to be human.

Gripping her waist tightly, Beast Boy rolled. She found herself suddenly underneath of him, one of her legs slipped precariously through his. He gave her a wicked grin and lowered his mouth to hers for a searing kiss.

She'd just barely begun to respond when a wave crashed up onto the beach. Chilly water went up her dress, along her back, and into her hair. She gave a shriek of alarm and arched up off of the sand.

Gar had already leapt to his feet—just before the wave hit—and he stood over her laughing.

Raven gaped up at him in astonishment. "You did that on purpose!"

"What are you going to do about it?" he asked with a snicker. And then he took off racing down the beach.

She stared after him for a moment in utter surprise. Her mind had been so completely consumed that she hadn't even stopped to consider he might play a prank on her. His words of things not changing between them, of him still occasionally aggravating her, filled her mind.

With a shake of her head, she climbed to her feet. Instead of racing after him, she chanted her mantra under her breath. A fist of black energy escaped her, reaching out for him. It wrapped around his waist, lifting him off of his feet and into the air. Then she tossed him into the ocean.

He gave a yelp of shock a moment before the waves swallowed him. When he surfaced, he was sputtering and laughing. "Aw, come on, Rae. You don't play fair."

With a smirk, she inclined her head at him in agreement. "Never claimed I did."

He slapped at the surface, sending a spray of water that came nowhere near close to her. "Well, now that I'm completely soaked and in here for a full swim, you might as well join me."

"Oh really?" She tiptoed toward the water's edge and dipped a toe in. "I think you're mistaken about that. It's too cold for me."

He narrowed his eyes at her as he tugged his tie off and tossed it onto the sand. Then he worked on the buttons of his shirt and it followed. "It wasn't too cold to toss me into," he accused.

Licking her lips, she stared at the well-defined muscles of his chest. They'd been clearly visible through his wet shirt, and they'd instantly made the water seem more inviting, but now that the shirt was off... "You deserved that," she said, even as she waded toward him into the water.

"Can't deny that."

As she got closer, she splashed him. "I can't believe you rolled me into a wave."

"I can't believe how sexy you look all dripping wet."

She arched a brow at the heat in his voice. "I could say the same thing about you."

Grabbing her waist, he pulled her toward him. Their bodies melded together and she could feel every inch of him. When his hand went to the back of her neck to pull her in for a kiss, she tilted her face up to him. Her hands ran up the expanse of his chest, taking their time to appreciate the muscle there.

When his hands went to her hips and lifted her ever so slightly, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. She clung to him, and he supported her with his hands carefully against her lower back. Her hands went to his face and she trailed her fingertips along his jawline.

She never even went swimming with the others when they came to the beach, and now here she was wrapped up in his arms in the water as the waves lapped gently at her back. She gave a sound of contentment and pulled back to look at his familiar face.

It was then that he whispered something she was pretty sure neither of them expected.

"I love you."

She saw his eyes widen in alarm, saw the color leave his face. She was fairly certain he hadn't meant to let the words escape him, but in this perfect moment, it was hard not to.

Lowering her mouth back to his, she whispered against his lips. "I love you too, Gar."

OOOOO

After her eventful evening out, Raven had awoken early to meditate. Even though she loved every moment she spent with Garfield, he was a ball of energy. And she…was not. After a date with him, she needed to recuperate and get herself centered again.

She'd spent a few hours meditating and letting go of all the excess energy that had been following her around. Now, she felt more relaxed and able to handle the day.

She was fairly certain the others had just headed into the kitchen for breakfast. She'd heard them moving about. With a little smile, she headed in that direction to join them.

She entered the kitchen to find the rest of the team seated at the table while Cyborg and Beast Boy elbowed each other for room at the stove.

"Hey, Rae," Cyborg called out. "I'm making bacon. Want some?"

"No way!" Beast Boy called. "She doesn't want your greasy animal meat. She'd rather have some tofu bacon."

Raven crinkled her nose at this. "Sorry, B. I'm going to have to go with Cyborg on this one."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes with a playful grin. "Well, you win some, you lose some. I still feel like I'm ahead of the game."

"So it would seem," Robin murmured from behind the morning paper.

Beast Boy paused, spatula held in hand. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You see the paper this morning?"

When the others shook their heads, Robin flattened the page he was reading for the rest of them to see.

Raven stared at the headline in horror for a moment.

"Jump City's favorite wedding crashers," Cyborg read over Robin's shoulders. "Grass Stain, you didn't."

Beast Boy snickered. "We did."

But Raven was too busy reading the article to comment, her gaze sweeping over the page with concern. "The Titan's cutest couple was spotted at a local wedding…" There was a picture of herself and Beast Boy on the dance floor, looking more than a little chummy. "They treated the bride and groom to an unforgettable memory…" Her gaze flicked over the second picture, one of herself and Gar stealing a kiss in between bites of wedding cake.

"Cutest Titans couple?" Robin said with a casual laugh that was far from casual. "I don't know about _cutest_ Titans couple."

Ignoring Robin, Raven looked up at Beast Boy in surprise. "It's positive."

He snorted in amusement. "Of course it's positive."

"But the media never says anything positive about me. It's usually negative. At best, it's neutral."

"Keep hanging out with me, baby, and they'll soon love you."

She sent him a warning look. "Don't call me baby."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Starfire broke into the conversation, looking at the paper in puzzlement. "So you did not stay at the fancy restaurant?" She frowned. "And you took out your braid?" She eyed the picture of Raven and Beast Boy on the dance floor, more specifically at Raven's hair falling down her back in a long wave.

"I…"

Before Raven could explain, Robin took over. "Star, different things work for different couples. What they're doing, it's obviously working for them." He shrugged a shoulder, shooting Raven a quick grin. "You'll have to save the fancy dresses and makeup for our dates."

Starfire frowned thoughtfully. Then she glanced at Raven. "You would rather do the crashing of the wedding?" she asked in bewilderment.

It was such an odd thing that Raven was forced to pause before she answered. Was she really ready to sign up for a relationship of spontaneity, excitement, and impulsiveness? These were all things she despised. But a quick glance at Garfield told her the answer. "I guess I would." She could hear the astonishment in her own voice.

Starfire shook her head. "I do not understand." She smiled brightly. "But I am most happy for you. Perhaps once we do the dating double, I shall better understand."

Raven winced when Starfire pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "Yeah…sure. We'll do that soon."

"Most glorious!"

"Yeah, I guess it is," Raven said with a little smile in Beast Boy's direction. This was a path she'd never expected her life to take. She'd never thought it at all possible. But now that she'd had a taste of it, there was nothing she wanted more.

Feeling more than a little embarrassed at letting her friends see her smile, she flipped her hood up over her head and covered herself in protective darkness. She knew she still had a long way to go, and that things would never come easily for her. Opening up had always been—and always would be—an effort. But it was finally an effort she was willing to make. And with the least likely person.

As Cyborg placed a heaping plate of bacon, eggs, and sausage in front of her, she lowered her face over her meal. She kept her hood up, her face hidden. And as she'd hoped, the others returned to their own things. Robin lifted the paper back up and continued reading. Starfire chattered about a dress she's seen at the "mall of the shopping". Cyborg concentrated solely on shoveling food into his mouth.

When Beast Boy slipped into the chair beside hers, no one paid him any attention either. He dug into his own food, audibly complimenting himself on his tofu cooking skills—which earned him a groan from Cyborg. Everything was back to normal.

Under the table, Gar looped his foot around one of hers in a subtle show of affection. She smiled into her breakfast. She was happy things could still be normal…but better.


	6. Chapter 6: Lucky Logan

**Lucky Logan**

The moment Beast Boy's eyes opened, he smiled. Today was his day. Out of all of the days of the year, this was one of his favorites. St. Patrick's Day—the day that celebrated all things green.

Jump City loved him on an average day, but on St. Patrick's Day, he was like a god. He received free meals wherever he went. Gifts were often showered upon him. Girls flirted with him ceaselessly—not that he would flirt with random girls anymore now that he was with a certain half demon. People stopped him for pictures nonstop, treating him like a celebrity.

Yes, St. Patrick's Day was his day. He liked to say he was Lucky Logan.

Throwing his blankets aside, he hopped out of bed with a jovial grin on his face—even more jovial than usual. Whistling, he headed into his bathroom for a shower. A peek at his communicator before he took it off told him it was ten in the morning. Often, Robin forced them out of bed early for training exercises, but not today! Today, he was Lucky Logan and as such, he'd gotten to sleep in.

Hopping—literally hopping—into the shower, he turned the hot water on full blast and gave an appreciative groan as it cascaded down his body. Living in the same building as two women (and Robin), sometimes there wasn't hot water left for him when it was his turn in the shower. Today, the hot water _flowed_.

Humming a tune under his breath, he lathered shampoo between his hands before scrubbing it into his shaggy hair. He knew he should probably get a haircut soon. It was getting long. But Raven had recently taken up complaining about its length. Which meant she constantly had her hands in his hair, fussing with it. Which in turn gave him zero reason to get it cut. He was fairly certain they were both fully okay with his messy hair. It was just an excuse for her to touch him. And that was something they both enjoyed.

Grabbing the large loofa on a stick that hung in his shower, his humming turned into full-on lyrics. He sang into the loofa, suddenly understanding why Starfire had given it to him, claiming it was a life necessity. She was always singing in the shower. Now, he understood why. How could someone be in a good mood, have a microphone shaped cleaning item in the shower, and _not_ sing into it?

He alternated between scrubbing and singing, his mood lifting with each word that passed loudly and off-key from his lips. Once he'd thoroughly cleaned himself—and exhausted enough songs to make his time in the shower feel worthwhile—he turned off the water and leapt out.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he approached the fog-covered mirror and swiped his hand along it to clear it up enough for him to brush his teeth. As he brushed, he sent himself a grin and a wink. He was confident this was going to be the best day of the year so far—and last month he'd made out with Raven in the ocean. So there was definitely some competition.

Humming once again, he made his way into his bedroom and tugged on a pair of boxer briefs. Then he climbed into a pair of jeans and tugged a t-shirt over his head. Shaking out his wet, messy hair, he exited his room and made his way to the kitchen.

Starfire sat at the counter painting her fingernails. Raven was beside her reading a thick, old-looking book.

He flashed them both a wide smile. "Good morning!"

Raven lowered her book only enough to shoot him a disapproving look over the top of it. "It's practically afternoon." She arched a brow. "And were you singing Gangnam Style in the shower?"

He merely laughed at her open disapproval as he crossed the kitchen to stand behind her. "I love you too." He tugged on her hair to get her to tilt her head back. Then he planted a firm kiss against her lips.

A blush touched her cheeks, and he could tell she was momentarily speechless.

Their relationship was new, and though their friends knew all about his undying love for her, she still got flustered when he kissed her in front of them.

"Yes…well…" She tugged her hood up over her head to hide her blush. "Why are you in such a good mood?"

"Because I'm the man of the hour," he said dramatically, splaying his arms out as if to put himself on display.

"You are?" she asked dryly. "I must have missed that memo."

Starfire blinked at Raven, having missed her sarcasm. "Was there a memo? I too did not see such a memo."

Beast Boy lifted an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. He tossed it into the air, caught it, and then shined it on his shirt. "Today, ladies, is St. Patrick's Day." He took a large bite of his apple, waggling his eyebrows at them. "National love everything green day." He swallowed, his chest puffing with pride. "They might as well rename it national Beast Boy day."

Before he could elaborate on the wonders of St. Patrick's Day, the Tower's alarm sounded, announcing that playtime was over. A moment later, Cyborg's head ducked into the room. "Grass Stain, think you could take a minute away from your delusions of grandeur? Plasmus is making mincemeat out of main street downtown."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes and took another bite from his apple. "Sure. I wanted to head out anyway. The more visible I am, the more I'm celebrated."

Raven carefully shut her book and climbed to her feet. "I cannot believe I'm dating you."

"Sometimes it does seem like the foolish decision," Starfire said with a playful laugh as she sauntered past them out of the room.

"Aw, mamma, don't talk like that," he said, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Nothing wrong with a healthy ego every now and then."

"Yours is a little too healthy," she said, though he caught the little smile that tugged at her lips as he guided her into the Ops Room.

He leaned in and pressed an exaggerated kiss to her cheek. "I'm only cocky because my girlfriend is so hot."

A small giggle escaped her before she caught herself and pushed him away. "Stop," she warned, though that small little smile was still there. "You know I don't approve of public displays of affection."

"So then how about a private display of affection in the pool when we get home?" He arched a challenging brow at her, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest at the thought of getting some alone time with her.

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him in silence for a long moment. Then she shook her head at his antics but relented. "Sure. Whatever."

"Told you today was my lucky day."

"That remains to be seen," she said dryly.

"If I get to see you in a bathing suit, then it's a lucky day." With a wink, he strolled ahead of her into the room and flopped down on the couch. He crossed one foot over his knee and stared expectantly at Robin. "You ready, dude? My subjects await."

Robin blinked at him in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"St. Patrick's Day," Cyborg explained.

"Ah." Robin nodded. "I see." He grinned. "Sounds like we're all getting free drinks tonight."

"You knows it," Garfield said, snapping his fingers in Robin's direction.

Raven rolled her eyes and attempted to sit down in the seat beside him. Instead, he grabbed her waist as she was lowering and tugged her into his lap. She gave a yelp of surprise and landed awkwardly. "What are you doing?" she grumbled. "Stop being an idiot."

"You like it when I'm an idiot."

Her lips curved into that hint of a smile. "I do." Then she frowned at him. "But seriously. Stop being an idiot." She carefully extracted herself from his lap and sat with as much dignity as she could in the seat beside him. "We have a mission. It's time to get serious."

OOOOO

Beast Boy went sailing through the air with a holler. His back slammed against the concrete side of a building and he slid down the wall, upside down. He ended up a crumpled mass on the pavement below.

Shaking his head to fight back momentary disorientation, he lunged to his feet.

Plasmus was being more troublesome than usual. The gelatinous blob was refusing to stand down. Whatever his agenda was—which was still unclear—he was obviously not in a surrendering type of mood today.

Turning into a cheetah, Beast Boy raced back into action. Once back in the mix, he circled Plasmus' feet, trying to trip him up or at the very least cause a distraction.

This tactic seemed to work, because Starfire was suddenly there, blasting him with Starbolts and causing Plasmus to stumble back a couple steps.

Deciding he was best utilized as a distraction, Garfield shifted back into his human form and stood before the large blob of a man. He knew Raven had a talent for knocking the villain unconscious with her astral self. All he needed was to buy her some time until she could get an opening.

"Hey, ugly!" He grinned as Plasmus' attention turned fully in his direction. "Don't you ever get tired of losing to us? Why don't you go bother some other city? Or better yet, just stay in your jail cell. You always end up back there anyway."

Plasmus snarled, his nostrils—at least Beast Boy thought they were nostrils—flared with outrage.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Beast Boy!" Starfire's voice rang in his ears, but he ignored her.

"I got this, Star," he called over his shoulder, his attention focused fully on Plasmus. "You know, people say I'm not the sharpest mind around, buy _you_. You're _really_ dumb. Like rocks in your head dumb." He chuckled and shook his head. "Only a fool would continue to attempt such attacks on Jump City when they get defeated over and over again. It's madness, really. That's what it is. In fact, I—"

He was suddenly slammed into from the side. He went flying through the air. Then tumbling into the pavement. His momentum took him farther, rolling over and over until he finally came to a stop.

Raven was perched on top of his chest, her hood fallen down her shoulders, her hair windswept and tangled.

Over her shoulder, he saw that Plasmus was suddenly not alone. Cinderblock had come barreling out of a nearby building. And he'd smashed his fist down into the sidewalk where Beast Boy had been standing only moments before. Had Raven not shoved him out of the way, he'd have been smeared into the pavement. The realization filled him with a momentary sense of cold fear, but it evaporated before he could even process it. He never found it wise to dwell on fear. As per his usual, he instead relied on jokes. "I like you too, Rae, but now's not the time."

"Stop screwing around," she grumbled, climbing to her feet.

"Aw, mamma. That's all I know how to do!" He knew this would irritate her, and the dirty look she shot him over her shoulder as she headed back into battle drew a chuckle from him. No matter how long they were together, no matter how in love with her he was, he still enjoyed annoying her every once in a while.

Turning into an eagle, he flew over Cinderblock—who Robin had extremely distracted—and placed himself above Plasmus. Once he was in position, he turned into a whale. He came crashing down into—more like through—the villain. He found himself surrounded in goop and slime. It shot out in all directions, splashing onto Raven and Robin.

Raven gave a holler of disgust, while Robin's feet slid along the pavement.

Beast Boy returned to his normal form, his nose curling at the stench of the gelatinous substance coating his uniform. "Sorry, guys!" His big plan had been messy, but fortunately for him, it seemed to have done the trick. At his foot lay the unconscious villain.

Raven wiped a blog of red goop away from her face before waving toward the awaiting police officers that would return Plasmus to his soundproof stasis tank. She covered them, making sure Cinderblock never turned his attention in their direction.

Thankfully, he was far too distracted by Starfire, who was flying around his head, blasting him with Starbolts. He snarled, swiping at her, and Cyborg took the opportunity to hit the distracted villain with a shot from his sonic blaster.

Seeing that his friends had Cinderblock covered, Beast Boy rushed in to help the officers. Slipping around on the residual goo from the Plasmus explosion, he grabbed the sleeping villain's feet. He and an officer hauled him up from the pavement and carried him to the waiting police cruiser. He was very careful not to jostle the man any more than possible, for fear of waking him.

Once they had the messy villain secured, Gar gave the officer a salute. "Get him back to his stasis tank. I'll help take down—" His sentence broke off when he saw that his friends had managed to take down Cinderblock without him while he'd been helping the officers. "Well, I guess I'll go pretend to be useful."

With a playful wink, he sauntered back over to where the Titans were talking with authorities. They'd brought one of those giant eighteen-wheeler trucks and were strapping down the unconscious villain for transportation. It looked as if Robin would be accompanying the truck to make sure it arrived safely at its destination.

He shot Cyborg a grin as he approached. "So we're hauling Cinderblock off on Optimus Prime?" he asked with a little chuckle. "Had I known all it took to get a ride from the leader of the autobots was to be a super villain, I might have considered aligning myself with the other side."

Cyborg threw his head back and laughed, but Starfire frowned in his direction.

"Who is this Prime of the Optimus?" she asked in confusion. "I did not know vehicles were living beings on your planet. All this time I have been—"

"Relax, Star," Cyborg said, patting her elbow. "It's from a movie."

As Robin and the officers drove away, Raven turned her attention their way. "Why are you confusing Starfire?" she asked with disapproval in her voice. "That's rude." Her mildly annoyed expression suddenly turned to one of full irritation. "Reporters."

Stepping slightly behind Beast Boy, she said, "You go deal with the press. They love you."

"She's not wrong, Green Bean." Cyborg gave him a shove in the back, sending him toward the approaching reporters. "You have a way with them."

"Oh, I love the reporters of the news. They are always so friendly with me," Starfire said in delight.

Cyborg chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, cause they're always hitting on you." At her puzzled frown, he patted her arm. "I'm going to do Rob a favor and keep you away from the drooling fanboys."

"I do not understand," Starfire said. "I have never been struck by a member of the press before."

Cyborg rolled his eyes and leaned in to whisper in Starfire's ear. Her eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. "The shame!"

Cyborg nodded. "I'm surprised you never realized that, the way Robin gets all tense any time the male reporters come your way." He paused thoughtfully. "Some of the female ones too."

As they continued their discussion on how attractive the reporters of Jump City found Starfire, Garfield looped his arm through Raven's and tugged her forward. "Come on, Rae. Remember, the press loves you too, now. Come talk with me."

"They'd turn on me in a flash if we ever broke up."

He snorted in amusement. "Then I guess you'll have to keep dating me then." As they reached the small gathering of reporters, he shot them a winning smile. "Hey, guys."

A woman with a microphone labeled _Jump City News One_ stepped forward. "Beast Boy, the city would like to once again thank you for your service to the community. Could you tell us…did this battle feel different than others? Were you frightened by the fact that you were nearly crushed by Cinderblock?"

This threw him for a moment, but he came back with his usual charm. "Frightened? Me?" He waved a hand carelessly in the air. "Nah. How could I be frightened? I've got the sexiest woman alive watching my back. I'd say that makes me pretty lucky."

The reporter's expression softened and she gave him an approving smile. It quickly returned to its professional appearance as she turned her focus on Raven. "Raven, does the fact that you're now dating Beast Boy make you come to his defense in battle more often?"

"No," Raven said dryly. "It has nothing to do with romance. When anyone on the team is being careless, I'm there to point it out to them. He's no different."

The reporter frowned, her disappointment at the response quite evident.

Raven let out a little sigh of defeat. "On the other hand," she said, obviously conceding to give the reporters what they were obviously looking for, "today is St. Patrick's Day. It's Beast Boy's day. I don't think he needed my help. He's lucky enough all on his own. Surely, he would have figured it out in time without my interference. I guess I was just looking for an excuse to roll around in the dirt with him."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her nose curled as if she were questioning why she would ever say such a thing, why she would ever agree to this interview at all.

Laughing in amusement at her discomfort, Beast Boy slung an arm over her shoulder. "Or maybe I'm just the luckiest guy in the world because I'm dating a kick ass super hero who always has my back."

"You two are so adorable," the reporter gushed.

He tightened his grip on Raven's shoulder when it felt as if she might pull away. "We sure are."

The cameraman behind the reporter lifted his camera and snapped a quick shot of the two of them, Beast Boy's arm draped so casually over Raven's shoulders.

Raven turned to him, her lips parting as if she was about to protest his actions in front of reporters.

He halted whatever she was about to say by grabbing her face in his hands and capturing her lips with his. He kissed her briefly but passionately. When he pulled back, he kept his lips lightly against hers, the contact the barest of grazes.

"Why?" she asked breathlessly against his lips, her violet gaze seeking his.

She didn't have to explain her question. He fully understood what she was asking. Why kiss her like that in front of witnesses? Why allow the reporters to snap such an intimate photo of them—which they most certainly had. The camera's flash had gone off four or five times during their kiss. Why do such childish things for the enjoyment of nosy people? It wasn't as if their relationship was anyone's business but their own.

"Maybe I want the whole world to know how crazy I am about you," he whispered against her lips.

Raven rolled her eyes. "That was cheesy."

But as he pulled back, he couldn't help but notice the pleased expression she was unable to hide. Or the slight blush on her cheeks. Fight all she wanted, he knew she enjoyed his little displays of affection. She'd waited her whole life for someone to treat her as if she mattered, as if she were special, as if she were meant for more than just opening a portal for her father. He would never grow tired of reminding her how important she was to him.

Turning to the reporters, he offered his brightest smile. "As you can see, I'm the luckiest guy in Jump City."

OOOOO

"Another tray of nachos, boys? On the house."

Beast Boy grinned up at the waitress who'd stopped in front of their table. "I can never say no to more nachos."

The waitress winked as she set the tray down, her eyes lingering on Cyborg. She gave him a shy little smile before directing her attention back to Beast Boy. "The best for this city's St. Patrick's Day good luck charm." With another wink, she set off back toward the bar.

Raven frowned after her. Then she turned her attention to the steaming plate of nachos. "That's the fourth plate you guys have been given. Aren't you going to get sick?"

"It's in a man's genetics to be able to consume mass amounts of nacho cheese," Robin explained, peeling away a chip doused in in the orange liquid. "It's kind of our thing."

Starfire groaned and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I have nine stomachs and all of them agree that last plate was more than enough."

"Agreed. Three plates of free nachos seemed like plenty." Raven scowled in the direction of their waitress.

Chuckling, Beast Boy threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Aw, don't be jealous, Bae. I've only got eyes for you."

"Ew. Don't call be Bae." She snuggled closer. "But good to know."

Garfield snickered. "Besides, I'm pretty sure she's got the hots for Cyborg."

"Whaaaaaa?" Cyborg asked with exaggerated surprise. "I hadn't noticed." Climbing to his feet, he took his full drink and switched it with Raven's empty one. "Excuse me while I go ask for a refill." And with that, he was gone. Off to charm their waitress.

Robin reached for another nacho, and Starfire placed her hand over his.

"Robin. The no." She shook her head. "I fear you are going to get sick if you do not take a break." She turned her head in the direction of the small dance floor that was mostly filled with elderly couples shuffling to a slow song piped into the bar/restaurant. "Let us do the dancing instead." Without giving him a chance to protest, she tugged him to his feet and dragged him across the room to the dance floor.

This left Garfield alone with Raven, a place he never minded being. He loosened his grip on her shoulder and ran his fingers lightly through her hair. "So how does it feel to be hooking up with the luckiest man in the city?" he asked teasingly.

She gave him her classic eye roll, which sent his stomach tumbling with pleasure. Man, he loved those eye rolls.

"Hooking up. Is that what we're doing?" she asked with amusement.

"Something like that."

She laughed lightly, a sound that was music to his ears. She never used to laugh. She used to hide herself away in her room, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Now that Trigon was gone, she was finally free. That had been the start. But realizing that she was actually worth loving had been a process he watched unfold with their relationship. It broke his heart at times, to realize she'd never been loved before, but it also made him love her even more because she'd taken a chance with him on something so unfamiliar to her.

Unaware of his serious thoughts, she quirked a brow at him. "So…luckiest man in the city, do you want to dance? Or do you want to keep bragging about how awesome you are?"

"As much fun as it is to bolster my own ego, dancing with you sounds better." He slid from his seat and took her hand. He led her along behind him to the dance floor before pulling her dramatically into his arms.

She smirked, shaking her head. "Do you always have to make a scene?"

"I think you know the answer to this." He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "Do you always have to be embarrassed when I make a scene?"

"Always," she retorted with a little smile.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," he said with a chuckle. He let out a content sigh and carefully guided her to the music, half of his thoughts consumed with the movement of his feet. He might smile and make a show of being cool in public, but in reality, he often felt as if he had two left feet. It was all about the appearance of seeming casual and carefree. Then people didn't notice your mistakes as much. That was why he was so popular with the citizens of Jump City. They didn't see him often enough to realize what a disaster he could be at times.

Raven had seen him at his worst, though. She'd seen him screaming in agony after being injured in a fight. She's seen him puking his guts out when he'd gotten the flu. She'd once caught him crying after a phone call with Rita in which she'd been shakily telling him of some new injustice Mento had put her through. She'd seen him mourn the loss of Terra, something that now felt like a blessing, because if Terra were still around, he might not be here with Raven. Not that he really ever thought his tenuous relationship with her would ever last, but losing Terra the way he had…it had forced him to grow up. Without that, he never would have been worthy of Raven's affection.

Yes, Raven had seen him at his worst and she still loved him. That was what made him concentrate hard not to tromp on her toes. It was what made him strive to be better, to not screw things up with her. She deserved the best version of himself, and he was trying very hard to give her that.

He shook his head with a little chuckle at that thought. Even the best version of himself was going to be goofy. He was going to pull pranks and get into a little bit of trouble, but that was okay. She needed that bit of childishness in her life.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, tilting her face up to him, her brows pinched in confusion.

"Just how different we are."

"And you find that amusing?"

"I do." He shrugged as he swayed her to the music. "When we first met, I used to wonder if you were going to kill me before the week was finished. Now I wonder how many times I can convince you to make out with me before the end of the week."

"You don't need to do much convincing." A blush tinted her cheeks and she lowered her gaze to the floor.

He removed one of his hands from her waist and tilted her chin up so he could gaze into her purple eyes. "Don't be embarrassed. I like that you enjoy making out with me." He flashed her a crooked grin. "It reminds me of how undeniably sexy I am."

Raven groaned and dropped her head to his chest. "How did I end up with you again?" she mumbled into his shirt.

"I do believe it started at that Halloween party," he teased. "You got really drunk and decided to grind up on me on the dance floor."

Her head popped up off of his chest so she could narrow her eyes at him. "Okay, first of all, _you_ got _me_ drunk. You lowered my inhibitions and then dragged me out on that dance floor. That was all your doing."

"Yeah…maybe. But then you were the one who took your cape off and did all that sexy secret spy stuff on that mission we had right before Thanksgiving. What guy my age is going to be able to "keep it friendly" when a girl that looks like you is…doing what you were doing?" He shook his head at the memory of her ducking and slinking through those security laser beams. The mental image of her ass perked up in the air as she slid under that one particular laser close to the floor had been forever burned into his brain.

"No one made you look," she shot back cheekily. "But let's say for argument's sake that I was perhaps trying to get your attention that day, it was still you who bribed Cyborg to switch you Secret Santa's so you could have me. You manipulated things so you could give me flowers, and a bubble bath, and a bracelet. Which, by the way, had a heart engraved into it."

Beast Boy sucked in a breath and gaped at her in surprise. "You knew about that? How?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I…uh…I kind of heard you begging Cyborg to switch people with you."

"Wow." His brow rose in astonishment at this realization. "So the whole time…you knew?" He wasn't sure what to make of this news. She'd known. That whole time he'd been so nervous about her finding out about his feelings for her, and she'd known the entire time. She'd known he was behind each gift, each surprise.

"I knew." Her arms moved from where they gently rested on his shoulders to his waist and she hugged him tightly, her cheek moving to his chest. "I'd never felt more special in my entire life. That was when I knew this was worth being vulnerable for. That you would be worth opening myself up to."

"I guess I'm lucky you heard that conversation then."

She didn't remove her cheek from his chest, but she tilted her head so she could gaze up at him. "You're the luckiest guy in Jump City, remember? If you hadn't won me over then, surely you would have today. Right?"

"Good point," he said teasingly. "Then it wouldn't have cost me all those Christmas gifts."

With a snort, she extracted herself from his arms and elbowed him in the side. "Shut up, you weirdo."

"I love you," he said cheekily.

"Yeah, I love you too." Her lips were curved into a pleased grin, but she rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide it. "Now get me a drink, Mr. Lucky—and not one that previously belonged to Cyborg. I'm thirsty."

OOOOO

Beast Boy sat in a lounge chair by the pool at Titan's Tower. He had a pair of sunglasses over his eyes as he soaked in the sun. It was a nice evening, a little chilly, but the pool was heated. His plan to get Raven alone in the pool hadn't happened, but this was nice as well. He enjoyed spending downtime with his friends, just behaving like normal teenagers.

Starfire and Robin splashed around in the pool, playing a game of volleyball. Raven sat directly across the pool from him, a book hiding her face. He took a moment to study her. She wore a simple black bikini, something much more muted than the hot pink one Starfire sported. It was cut less revealing than Star's as well, but that didn't make it any less hot. He pale legs were on display, her curvy figure taunting him from across the pool…

"Stop ogling Raven."

Beast Boy jumped in surprise. He'd been so wrapped up in doing just that, he'd almost forgotten he'd been chatting with his best friend. "You don't know what I'm ogling. I've got sunglasses on."

"Trust me, I know." Cyborg's tone was less than amused. "You zoned out on our conversation and your tongue is practically hanging out of your head. If you want to stay the luckiest guy in Jump City, you'd better stop doing that in front of me."

Beast Boy flinched. He knew Cyborg viewed Raven like a little sister, so he tried his hardest not to flaunt his relationship with the half demon in front of him. But when Raven was clad in a tiny bikini, it was hard to keep that in mind. "I wasn't ogling," he lied. "I was just contemplating inviting her for a swim before we head inside for dinner. That's all."

"Uh huh." Cyborg was far from convinced, but there was amusement in his voice. "Go have fun, Green Bean. I'll stay here, keeping my circuits dry."

Beast Boy climbed to his feet and gave his best friend a mocking salute. "You do that." He chuckled at Cy's grumbled response as he headed around the pool in Raven's direction. He reached her chair and stood above her, his shadow falling over her form…which she totally ignored.

She was so absorbed in her book, he was fairly certain they could get attacked by the Hive without her realizing. With a smirk, he cleared his throat. Nothing. "Hey, Rave?" When she still didn't look up, he leaned down and ran a finger up the bottom of her foot.

She gave a little yelp and jumped. Lowering her book, she glared up at him. "Don't _do_ that!"

"How else am I going to get your attention?"

"How about don't?" Despite her harsh words, she lowered her book to her stomach and gave him a hint of a smile. "What do you need, Garfield?"

"I was hoping I could convince you to go swimming with me before dinner."

Her eyes slid to the pool. She watched the game between Robin and Starfire with a frown. "I don't play sports."

"Wasn't asking you to. Maybe I just enjoy the thought of you all wet and slippery against me." The words were off of his tongue and out of his mouth before he could stop them. The mental image those words brought had him fighting back a groan of arousal. Damn. Now why did he have to go and plant that idea in his head? His request had started off innocent, but it had taken a turn for the erotic somewhere without his realization.

Raven's cheeks reddened. "The things that come out of your mouth."

He could practically see her mentally asking herself why she was dating him again. Wanting to fix his blunder, he shuffled his feet sheepishly. "Sorry. That wasn't what I was going for. I just…thought you might like to swim for a bit."

She remained seated, her brows knitted thoughtfully. Her gaze scanned his body, lingering on his bare chest. After a long moment, she sighed. "Sure. I suppose I could swim for a little." She climbed to her feet, lowering her book to the chair she'd just vacated. Then she sauntered off in the direction of the other end of the pool, away from Starfire and Robin.

As he followed her, Beast Boy couldn't keep his gaze from straying to her backside. It was still hard to believe that he knew exactly what it felt like to run his hands over those luscious globes, that he knew what it felt like to have those pale legs wrapped around his waist.

He felt his body react and gave a small yelp. He needed to stop that train of thought or he was going to embarrass himself. Glancing worriedly over his shoulder, he was relieved to see Cyborg engrossed in his laptop, video chatting with their waitress from this afternoon. It hadn't taken his friend much effort to get her number.

He turned back to the pool in time to see Raven sliding carefully over the edge into the warm water. He watched the muscles of her bare stomach tighten as she lowered herself down. Damn. Maybe this whole swimming thing was a bad idea.

He lowered himself to the ground at the edge of the pool and dipped his legs into the water. He paused there, silently telling himself that he needed to behave. He needed to keep his thoughts clean. His friends were around…though none of them were paying he and Raven any attention… That didn't matter though! He was not going to—

"Are you getting in or what?"

He looked up at Raven's bored tone. If only she knew the effect she had on him, how much he struggled to remain a gentleman. He'd been failing for months to keep his thoughts from being dirty. But in his defense, he was a virile guy with a smoking hot girlfriend who wore skimpy bikinis and—

Raven treaded the water to him and lifted up on the lip of the pool so she could drape her arms casually over his knees. She gazed up at him, her purple eyes dancing with amusement while her feet kicked lazily in the water. "You were the one who wanted to get in."

In that moment, he was fairly certain she _did_ know the effect she had on him. Because what she was doing right now was torture. He shifted uncomfortably, but instead of backing off, she moved in closer. She placed her arms on either side of his thighs and lifted out of the water so her face was near his. Her ribs brushed against his inner thighs as she moved, her breast bumping his arm.

He closed his eyes with a soft groan. She was going to kill him. Plain and simple. He was trying his hardest to be good and she was doing her best to break him. "You're doing this on purpose."

"You were the one who wanted to get slippery and wet," she whispered against his lips, causing him to jump. As his eyes had still been closed, the contact of her lips had been unexpected.

When she pressed her lips more firmly to his, he didn't fight it though. He only had so much restraint, and this was beyond his capabilities. Instead, he slid closer to the edge of the pool. In response, she pressed forward as well, her stomach brushing up against his groin.

His grip on the lip of the pool tightened to the point he thought he might crack the cement. She was going to kill him. He had no question about it now.

"Pizza!"

At the new voice that called from the entrance of the pool area, Raven pushed away from him back into the water, her head disappearing beneath the surface for a moment.

He looked over at the new arrival with a pained expression. "We, uh, we didn't order any pizza."

The delivery man shrugged. "Compliments of the shop. My boss said it was for the luckiest guy in the city and one of our favorite customers."

Robin hopped out of the pool and jogged over to the delivery man. "Sweet!" He took the stack of pizzas, careful not to lean them against his wet chest. "Tell Julio we'll be in again in a couple days, no worry."

The delivery man sniggered. "There's never a worry. You guys love your pizza." With a wave, he headed off back the way he'd come.

Raven lifted herself suddenly out of the pool. "I'm starved. Let's all get a quick shower and meet in the kitchen, shall we?" Snatching the boxes of pizza out of Robin's hands, she sauntered off toward the Tower, dripping water after herself.

Everyone else jumped at the suggestion. They gathered their things and headed inside, but Beast Boy lingered at poolside, telling them he would be in shortly. Once he had the space to himself, he lowered his head and took a few calming breaths. He was sporting a very uncomfortable erection that he did not want the others to see. He just needed a moment…

Pushing off of the lip of the pool, he propelled himself into the water. Sinking to the bottom of the pool, he stayed there a long moment, hoping the water would cool him off. Beyond his limited stint with Terra—which felt like a frozen tundra to the fire Raven elicited in him—he'd never had a serious girlfriend before. He hadn't known what to expect. He was coming to think of it as delicious torture. He wasn't sure how much more he could survive, but he didn't want Raven to stop either. No, he never wanted her to stop.

Surfacing, he swam to the edge of the pool and hauled himself out. Shaking out his shaggy hair, strode in the direction of the Tower. What he needed right now was a cold shower and some pizza.

OOOOO

As he closed his bedroom door behind him, Garfield reflected on the day. It was no lie that it had been his lucky day. He'd been saved by Raven in battle. He'd gotten free nachos after the battle. Later, he'd gotten a free lunch at the sandwich shop the Titans often visited. He'd been given a few free comic books from a fangirl—new comics, from his favorite series. The local news station had run a flattering piece on him. He'd been delivered free pizza. Then there'd been that smoking hot kiss from Raven in the pool. The list of his luck went on and on. As he'd expected, it had been a good day. Probably the best yet.

Smiling to himself, he went to unzip his uniform to change for the night when a portal suddenly opened up in front of him and Raven popped into his room. He froze, staring at her for a moment in astonishment.

She stared back, her purples eyes wide, as if she couldn't believe she was there either.

"Um…what are you doing?" he asked uncertainly. They'd parted ways about fifteen minutes ago, bidding each other goodnight. Her appearance now was quite unexpected. They were usually fairly upfront about wanting to spend time with one another. She'd never just popped up in his room unexpected like this.

As if his uncertainty bolstered her confidence, she took a step toward him. "You're the luckiest guy in the city," she said, the comment coming seemingly from out of nowhere.

"Yeah," he said slowly, feeling nervous and not knowing exactly why. "I know that. It doesn't explain why you're—"

"How would you like to get really lucky?"

" _What_?" He was certain he'd heard her wrong. There as no way she'd said… No way she could possibly mean…

She nodded her head, as if silently affirming in her own mind the decision to ask her bizarre question. "We should do this." Closing the short distance between them, she pressed her hands lightly to his chest, gazing up at him. "I don't want to wait anymore."

She stared at him expectantly, but he stood frozen, unsure of what to do. He was certain he understood what she was asking of him, but he was too stunned to react. And despite his surety, there was still that fear he'd misinterpreted her request. What if he made a move and was incorrect?

Biting her lip, she lifted a hand to lightly grasp the zipper to his uniform between thumb and forefinger. She tugged at it gently, slowly drawing it down to expose his chest. The sound of his uniform unzipping filled the silent room, sounding much louder than it should have.

Garfield's heart stopped. He was sure of it. "Raven…I…" He backed up slightly, surprise filling him when the zipper reached his navel. He'd been shirtless in front of her countless times. In fact, he'd been shirtless in the pool earlier. It was merely the intent behind her action that startled him, that caused him to back up in surprise. As he did, the back of his knees bumped against the bed, halting his retreat.

Raven pressed her palm against his chest, and he found himself sinking down onto the mattress. Placing herself between his knees, she stared down at him, her expression questioning. Grabbing his left hand, she held it between both of hers. "You do want this…right?"

"Raven…are you asking me…?"

Her grip on his hand tightened and she whispered in a breathy voice, "I want to have sex with you." She hesitated, as if rethinking her words. Then, in a firmer voice, she corrected herself. "I want us to have sex together."

An electric shock of pleasure zipped through him at her words. As much as he might have been dreaming about have sex with her, he'd taken things very slowly…well, as much as he humanly could. He'd not brought up the topic of sex, as he didn't want to rush her. So her request caught him totally off guard. "Are you sure?" he asked. He was frozen in place, afraid to move. He wanted this so much—so damn much—but he wanted to know she was sure. He wanted her to be positive, completely and thoroughly.

She lowered her eyes and a blush tinged her cheeks. "I…" She took a deep breath and lifted her gaze to his. "I don't want to frighten you off, but…"

He squeezed her hand. "You could never frighten me off."

She smiled faintly at his assurance, then pressed on. "I realized that you're it for me."

When she hesitated, he arched a brow at her, encouraging her to continue.

"I don't like most people. But I like you." She shrugged. "I never wanted a relationship. But I want one with you. You're like this big life-contradicting anomaly. No one else is ever going to be able to do for me what you do. No one else would ever measure up to…to the way you make me feel. You're it for me. You're…everything. So why am I waiting?"

Garfield extracted his hand from hers and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in against him. He let his chin rest against her stomach as he hugged her, wanting her to understand how much her words had touched him. "So let's stop waiting."

She shivered in his arms, then slowly nodded her head. "Okay. Let's stop waiting." She reached one of her hands behind her and gripped the zipper on her uniform. Then she tugged it gently downward, exposing her back.

Beast Boy's fingers grazed over her now exposed skin, reveling in the silky softness of her.

She lifted her hands to run her fingers through his messy hair before tugging his head back. With a shaky, nervous exhale, she lowered her mouth over his. She kissed him gently, tentatively.

He groaned at the innocence in her kiss. The side of herself she showed only to him differed so much from the face she showed everyone else. He loved that she was uncertain, that they were both wading into undiscovered territories with each other.

Reaching his hand up, he lowered the shoulder of her uniform, sliding it down.

He felt her freeze in his arms, as if she was concentrating on the action, but a moment later she relaxed and resumed kissing him. Her lips became a little bolder, pressing a little more fiercely to his. Her hands traveled down his face, his neck, until they disappeared into the opening of his uniform. She caressed his chest, widening the gap as her movements drew his zipper down even farther.

His other hand joined his first, pulling her uniform down her arms. She helped him free her upper body of the tight garment and once it was free of her arms, he eagerly slid it down over her hips. The bodysuit was still trapped by her thighs, but her hips were exposed, as was the black panties she wore underneath her uniform.

With a soft hiss of appreciation, he ran his palms along her hips, over the thin strip of fabric there. He'd never seen her in anything less than her uniform before, and just feeling her bare skin under his palms had his body reacting.

Finally, he could take it no more. He broke their kiss so he could pull back to look at her. He hungrily took in her pale skin, her curvy figure in nothing but her bra and panties.

Raven shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, then ran her fingers nervously through her hair. After a moment, she rolled her eyes at her own nerves and slipped the uniform the rest of the way down her legs. Then she kicked it to the side. Once free of the garment, she placed her hands on his shoulders and climbed carefully into his lap.

Beast Boy wrapped his arms around her waist again, holding her so she didn't fall backward. He was still at the edge of the bed, so she was balanced precariously above him.

She stared down at him, her purple gaze roving over his face. "You want this, right?" she asked breathlessly, as if still needing his reassurance.

He swallowed thickly, feeling very distracted by the half-naked empath on top of him. "Yes." He nodded firmly. "More than anything."

She nodded and her expression softened, as if that confirmation solidified her resolve and cemented her conviction. "Me too." She caressed her fingertips down his face, her exhale hot against his lips. She studied him, her eyes following the path of her gently stroking fingers. "How could anyone think your green skin is off-putting?"

Her question surprised him, but a warm sensation in his chest quickly followed. She might claim there was no one for her but him, but he felt it worked the other way around. Sure, people pretended as if the green skin didn't bother them, but he'd had dates flinch away from his touch before. And though some girls had "tolerated" it, none had ever caressed him with such tenderness as Raven did right now. None of them had ever fully accepted him. Not like this.

He placed a hand at the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his for a forceful kiss. He didn't just kiss her—he devoured her. His mouth moved hungrily against her own, claiming her, demanding submission.

She whimpered, her arms slipping around his neck so she could cling to him. "Gar…"

He kissed away whatever she might have been about to say. Hearing his name on her lips was enough. Being careful not to let go of her, he smoothed his hand along her bare back, his fingers caressing her silky flesh.

She made a soft mewing sound in the back of her throat and arched herself against him. Her hips rotated against his, and he groaned into her mouth. He shifted his hips toward her, wanting greedily to feel her grind against him again.

She did not disappoint. She pressed down into him once more, shuddering in his arms. Her hands slid down his chest, then ran up over his shoulders, pushing the sleeves of his uniform down and out of the way. As she continued to move on top of him, continued to kiss him, her hands explored his chest.

Overwhelmed with the need to feel more, Garfield tightened his hold on her with one arm and lifted her slightly off of his lap, moving her knees more firmly on the bed on either side of him. Then he used his hands to frantically tug his uniform over his hips and down his legs.

He toed his boots off, then used his feet to maneuver his uniform the rest of the way off. Left in nothing but his boxer briefs, he tugged her back down on top of him. The instant their bodies made contact, he groaned. Through the thin material of their undergarments, he could feel so much.

As she settled against him, Raven finally pulled her mouth away from his. She rocked contemplatively from side to side on his lap, then stared at him with wide eyes.

He flushed slightly, knowing she was reacting to the sensation of him hard underneath of her. Over the past few months, they'd engaged in their fair share of intimate exchanges. They'd made out on the couch. They'd stolen kisses in the pool. And one glorious night while snuggled under a blanket watching a movie, Raven had slipped her hand into his pants. She'd run her fingers over him, exploring him while he sat frozen in shock. And while all of that had been awesome, it didn't compare to this. They'd never been so intimately pressed up against one another before. Especially not with an end game in mind.

"I'm sorry," she said with an embarrassed little laugh. "I…I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't exactly sure what it would feel like… I like it."

With a devilish grin, he grabbed her waist and rolled her to her back, placing himself on top of her. Wanting to give her more to like, he rocked his hips firmly into hers, grinding their bodies together.

Raven gave a sharp gasp and arched underneath him, her eyes closing in pleasure. A soft sound of desire escaped her and it prompted him to repeat the action. He knew he'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life than Raven underneath him, her eyes closed in pleasure, her breath coming in pants because of things he was doing to her. It was…perfect. He wanted more. He wanted it all.

Climbing up to his knees, he fumbled with the lamp beside the bed until he was able to pitch them into darkness. Then he lowered himself to her, the only space between them where he propped himself up on one elbow.

He kissed her gently while his right arm snaked underneath of her. When he fumbled with the hooks of her bra, she arched up slightly to assist him. With a little bit of struggling, he managed to get the garment free and tossed it to the side.

He trailed his fingertips along her chest, marveling at the fact that he was able to touch her like this. Sure, like her, he'd snuck a few caresses in. He'd had his hand up her shirt, had touched her through her bra. But he'd never done anything like this.

His fingertips caressed over her hardened nipple and she shivered. The combined sensations had his dick hardening even more. It was still hard to believe that this amazing woman wanted him, only him. He'd once thought she hated him. Now…

He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her gently, taking his time with the kiss. He wanted her to feel relaxed, unrushed. What she'd asked of him—it was a big deal. He was about to lose his virginity. He knew most guys his age had done that years ago, but he wasn't most guys. His life wasn't normal. Finding someone who accepted him for who he was, who wasn't just with him because they could get their picture in the paper, was difficult. And just because he gave off a happy-go-lucky vibe did not mean he didn't have body insecurities. He was fricking green. He was filled with his own concerns, so he imagined she was as well. Losing your virginity was always made out to be a big bigger deal for women. He just wanted to make sure she was one hundred percent certain it was what she wanted.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked quietly. As she was nodding her head in assurance, another thought popped into his mind, a hindrance he hadn't even considered. "Shit! I don't have condoms! I—" It wasn't anything he'd ever given much thought. He'd had no use for them before. He cursed under his breath as he climbed up onto his knees. His body was fully worked up and the thought that there might be an obstacle to their plans had him feeling jittery. "I suppose I could ask Robin…" He shuddered at the thought. He _so_ did not want to have to ask Robin for condoms.

"Relax," she said in her calming, unaffected tone. "It's fine."

He shook his head vehemently. "It's not fine. I really, really want to do this with you. But I'm not risking…" He trailed off, his heart pounding in horror at the thought. He was so unprepared for parenthood. He had trouble keeping plants alive. He was not prepared for a human being.

"I meant it's fine because I started taking birth control." Her words came out sheepish and it drew his attention back to her.

"You did?"

Though it was dark, his decent night vision allowed him to see her nod. "I wanted to be prepared. It seemed quite obvious that we were both interested in sex. Getting on birth control seemed the logical next step."

That was his Raven—always logical. "That's awesome. But what about—"

"Demons don't really get STDs," she said slowly. "And I think that might be the same with most people who have super powers. I mean, I've never seen any hard facts about it, but I'm fairly certain—"

He pressed his mouth firmly to hers, silencing her. "Let's stop talking about STDs," he whispered into her mouth. She was right. There shouldn't be any worries about diseases. Their genetics kept them protected, as did the fact that they were both extremely unexperienced.

She laughed lightly, giving him an answering kiss. "Deal."

He was still half kneeling above her from when he'd gotten up in an attempt to race off for condoms. Raven used this position to reach her hand between them and stroke him through his briefs. Her palm cupped him, her fingers exploring his hard length. "So are we going to do this or what?" she asked with a playful challenge.

"We are." With anxious, trembling hands, he tugged his briefs down. At the same time, Raven wiggled out of her panties. In a very short time, they were both naked at staring expectantly—if nervously—at each other.

She gave him an encouraging nod and he responded with a crooked grin. They were really doing this. Leaning down, he brushed his lips gently against hers. "I love you." Taking himself in hand, he guided himself very carefully toward her. He pressed at her opening, the head of his erection sinking inside of her. She wiggled beneath him, but didn't give any indication she was in any pain. Taking that as encouragement, he sank slowly into her, inch after slow inch. The snail's pace with which he moved had a drawn-out groan escaping his lips.

When he was finally seated to the hilt, he let out a shaky exhale. "You okay?" he asked.

"Perfect."

He figured she would be. The two of them were used to being thrown into buildings by bad guys. Pain wasn't anything new to them. Raven was tough, and he had been as gentle as possible.

"Stop looking at me like I'm going to break," she said with amusement. "I'm good. Better than good." She placed a hand at the back of his neck and drew his mouth down to hers. She nipped lightly at his bottom lip before capturing his mouth with hers.

Arousal overwhelmed him and his hips began to move subconsciously while his mouth concentrated on kissing her in return. He rocked forward into her, his thrust deep and firm.

She moaned, her thighs clenching at his hips. She arched up into him, trying to draw him deeper.

He complied with her wishes. Each time he shifted back, he pressed into her harder, deeper. The sensation of her warm and inviting around him had his hands clenching into fists beside her head. The pleasure was almost too much, threatening to consume him. Adding to that were Raven's arms wrapped around him, her tiny hands clinging to his back.

He'd never felt particularly masculine. He supposed that came with being the smallest guy in the house, from working in the gym with Cyborg and Robin. But right now, he felt it. His beasts were roaring almost triumphantly in his head and the soft sounds Raven made were filling him with a sense of male pride he'd never had before. He thrust harder, a little quicker.

Raven cried out softly—she actually cried out! He grinned, thrusting again. Who would have thought he'd be actually halfway decent at this? His next thrust had her nails curling into the skin of his back.

"Like that," she whispered in his ear. Her eyes were squeezed tightly closed, something that drew another grin from him. He was definitely doing okay.

He lowered his nose to her jaw and nuzzled against her for a moment before placing a kiss against her throat. His hips continued to move, driving her higher—driving him insane. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He was in sensory overload. His genetics made it harder. His ears were filled with her panting whimpers. His nostrils were filled with her scent. His heightened senses were making it increasingly difficult for him to hold back.

"I…I'm…close," she whispered. "So close."

He let out a silent 'thank you' to the universe. Doubling his efforts, he thrust deeply, purposefully grinding his pelvic bone into her. He might have little experience, but that didn't mean he hadn't done a little research. He'd been curious, after all…

The tip from one of Starfire's girly magazines seemed to work, because Raven's nails tightened against his back. His name escaped her lips.

He lost himself in the movement of his hips. His teeth bit into his bottom lip. He was fighting to keep himself from completion until he was sure she made it there first. It was like the most torturous and addictive goal in the world.

Mid-thrust, she gave a sharp cry. He felt her walls tremble around him, felt her legs shake. _Yes_! He congratulated himself in his mind, euphoria filling him. He'd done it. And now…now he could let go.

He thrust half a dozen more times, her whimpers driving him on, until pleasure like nothing he'd ever experienced flooded through him. He gave a growl into her neck, clenching his teeth tightly together to fight back the urge to clamp down against her flesh. Animal desire drove him at times, but he understood he should probably see where she stood on biting before doing it.

His body shuddered, emptying inside of her. He clung to her, his nose buried in her long hair, his hands clenching fistfuls of it. It took him a few long breaths to collect himself, but he finally managed to fill himself with enough sense to pull back to gaze down at her. "Are you…are you okay?"

Her breath was still coming in pants, her eyes were still closed, but she nodded. "Yeah. That was…good. Really good."

He grinned. "Better than good." He closed his eyes as well, lounging against her, allowing himself a few moments to simply bask in the sated feelings traveling leisurely through his body.

He lay still, soaking in the feel of her feminine form beneath his, of her scent, which mingled erotically with his. His senses were still working hard, committing every little thing to memory, but it was more bearable now. It was warm and comfortable instead of overwhelming, and he felt he could stay like this forever.

A few minutes later, Raven tapped lightly at his shoulder. "We should get cleaned up."

It was a thought that hadn't occurred to him, but now that she mentioned it, his bladder felt as if it might explode. "Yeah. Good idea." He pressed his lips to hers. "Meet back here in like five minutes?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back."

He carefully lifted off of her and stood. She followed him, slipping off the bed. She reached out to squeeze his hand, staring silently up at him for a moment. Then she opened a portal to her own bathroom and disappeared.

He stared at the spot where she'd been, his mind still questioning if what they'd just done had really happened. It felt so unreal. With a grin and a shake of his head, he made his way into his bathroom.

Flicking up the toilet seat, he leaned his left forearm against the wall and gripped himself in his right hand. He made sure his aim was on before he closed his eyes. He relieved his bladder while his mind whirled like a tornado inside his head. He'd just had sex. Holy shit, he'd just had sex. He was trying very hard to keep his cool, but his lips pulled into a cheesy grin despite his efforts. He'd just had sex. With Raven. She'd had those amazing legs wrapped around him. He'd given her an orgasm, and a good one too if her reactions were anything to go by.

Feeling more than a little proud, he flicked the toilet lid down and flushed. Then he went to the sink to wash his hands. Once there, he made quick work of tidying himself up.

When he was sure he was decent, he made his way back to the bedroom and sank down onto the bed to wait for her to return.

After a minute of waiting, he felt a little silly sitting naked, so he tugged on his briefs and pulled the blankets up over his legs so it pooled at his waist. Another minute passed and started feeling anxious. Raven had said she was coming back… She would be back…right?

Another minute passed and he was just about to walk over to her room and check on her when she suddenly stepped through a portal back into his room. She wore a short nightgown that left the majority of her thighs bare. The sight had arousal pulsing through him despite their recent actions.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey." She ran a hand self-consciously through her hair. "Um…well, I guess… I guess I'm going to go to sleep." She offered him a small smile. "Good night. And…thank you."

"Sleep sounds good." He arched a brow. "But I hope you don't think you're going anywhere."

She blinked at him, her silence giving away her confusion. "You…you want me to stay? Stay the night? In here?"

"Duh." He smirked at her narrowed eyes. "Of course I want you to stay in here. Surely you had to realize that I'm a snuggler. All of those animal instincts…my inner cat alone is purring at the thought of getting you in this bed."

Raven rolled her eyes and crossed the room to him. "I'm not sure demons are supposed to be snugglers."

He pulled the blanket back, permitting her entrance. "It's a good thing you're only half demon then, isn't it?" He grabbed her hand and tugged her down beside him into the bed.

She came willingly, despite her mock expression of annoyance. "I'm not sure half demons should be snugglers."

"Well, this one is." He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her in against him. He smiled as she settled in, her cheek coming to rest against his chest. "Thank you," he said to the top of her head. "For suggesting we do that."

She tilted her face up to him and he took the opportunity to press his lips to hers. When he broke away, she gave a content sigh. "It seemed silly to wait. Especially when…when I know what I want."

He heard the hesitation in her voice. He understood her worry. They'd only been together a few months, but it hadn't taken him long to know he never wanted to be without her. It didn't matter that neither one of them had much dating experience. It didn't matter that they sometimes drove each other crazy. Sometimes something felt so right there was no doubting it. "I know what I want too."

He understood their lives might never be normal. In fact, they probably wouldn't. They might not get the house with the white picket fence and two point whatever kids. But he didn't care. Being with her was enough. That was what he wanted. Anything else would just be extra. They didn't need anything else figured out beyond the fact that they were in this together. "I love you."

She flushed, but nodded her confirmation. "Despite my best efforts, I love you too," she teased.

He laughed and tightened his hold on her. Silence stretched for a long minute and he couldn't help but add to his sentiments. "You know, today might have been the best St. Patrick's Day I've ever had. I got saved during battle by a really hot super hero. I got free nachos. I got free pizza. I had an awesome day."

She smiled lightly. "It was a good day."

She was missing the point of his comment and it made him smile. "The point is, despite all of that, despite every little detail of the day going perfectly…this was the best thing that happened." He kissed her forehead. "This wasn't just the best St. Patrick's Day for me. It was the best day of my life. You made every other lucky thing that happened seem trivial. The luckiest thing to ever happen to me was you."

"Don't be silly."

"I'm being serious. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I'm the luckiest man in the city." He clasped one of her hands, linking their fingers together. "As long as I have you by my side, I will always be the luckiest man in the city. It doesn't matter what day it is."

"Lucky Logan, huh?" she asked with amusement.

"Yeah. Lucky Logan."

"I think you're going to have to get used to that nickname, because I'm not going anywhere. You're just going to have to keep being lucky. Every day."

"Good." He pressed his lips lightly to hers. "Now, before we go to sleep…would you like to have sex again?"

Her lips curved into a grin and she shifted in the bed, sliding a leg over his until she was straddling his waist. "I thought you'd never ask."


	7. Chapter 7: Easter Eggstravaganza

_Anonymoose: I hope to update the other story soon. Finishing up a Social Psychology class in the next four weeks that has been…challenging. And my son currently has hockey, soccer, AND baseball practice running at the same time. And then I'm taking my daughter to gymnastics as well, so writing has been hit and miss these past few months. Hopefully when RL slows down a bit, I can churn something out for the other story. I'm hoping maybe next week. Keeping my fingers crossed._

 _Sanzojoe: April Fool's Day would have been a good one! That is totally a Beast Boy holiday. Didn't even think of that. I went with Easter instead. Shame on me!_

 _Charmedprincess101: Thank you! I was worried it might have gotten a little too cheesy. I questioned myself on a handful of those scenes, so I'm glad you enjoyed it._

 **Easter Eggstravaganza**

Raven awoke with a startled yelp as the sound of a trumpet call yanked her out of a deep sleep. She bolted upright, her eyes wide, her heart pounding in her chest. Across the room, a glass vase shattered, spilling flowers onto her desk, as magic shot out of her due to the unexpected racket.

It took her a long moment to realize the sound was coming from beside her in the bed.

On her spare pillow sat a small, battery operated alarm clock. She reached a hand out and smacked the OFF button, silencing the shrill wail. "What the hell?" Her heart was still beating frantically in her chest as her eyes landed on the single sheet of paper resting next to the clock.

She snatched it up with a little snarl of agitation. Her gaze perused the paper, then narrowed in annoyance. "Garfield!"

Silence answered her.

With a huff, she read the message again, this time aloud.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it— _I don't_ — is to complete this very awesome scavenger hunt created by yours truly. It's an Easter Eggstravaganza that I know you're going to love. Your first clue takes you to our fearless leader. You'll find him in the place where he spends the majority of his mornings. His "office". I'll see you at the end of your journey. Love, Gar."

Raven rolled her eyes and tossed the paper to the mattress. "Sometimes it's like he doesn't know me at all," she grumbled. Baffled by what could possibly make him think she would want to participate in a scavenger hunt, Raven slid out of bed and made her way to her bathroom.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed out her hair. She padded back into the bedroom and climbed back onto her bed. Crossing her legs, she settled in for her morning meditation. But that stupid letter sitting beside her was a giant distraction. It was like it was guilting her for not playing along.

Glaring at it, she shoved it under her pillow and attempted to return to her meditation. But it was still no good. The guilt had already gotten to her.

With an annoyed huff, she snatched the letter out from under her pillow and eased her feet back down to the floor. "Fine! I'll do it already!" Annoyed at how easily she'd caved, she stomped in the direction of her closet to get dressed. Along the way, she snatched a bra from her dresser. Upon reaching the closet, she pulled out a baggy t-shirt that had once belonged to Gar. It featured one of his favorite bands—one she didn't even know—but it smelled like him. And the tear in the neckline let the material slip off her shoulder to hang (what he claimed was "seductively") down her arm. It was a soft, comfy cotton—in black. Therefore, it was practically perfect.

She tugged on a pair of extremely short yoga shorts and slipped into a pair of black flats. She would play his game, but she wasn't going to cave completely. No Easter morning dress for her. No curled hair or perfectly done makeup like she'd seen a lot of women her age doing for the holiday. She was doing this her way…not that he probably expected anything less.

Eyeing the paper he'd left for her with pursed lips, she came to an easy conclusion. "Robin has the next clue in the training room." She rolled her eyes at the easiness of it all before tromping out of her bedroom. She almost stopped at the kitchen for a cup of tea but decided she wanted this scavenger hunt over as quickly as possible.

So she instead continued through to the place where she knew she'd find Robin. As predicted, he was well into his morning workout when she arrived. Sweat drenched his chest, and his shoulders were heaving with the effort of his breaths. He was currently abusing a heavy bag, his fists and heels hitting with force.

"What did he do to you?" she asked with amusement, referring to the bag.

He stopped, reaching a hand out to steady the punching bag. "Telling jokes, are we, Raven? Beast Boy must be rubbing off on you more than I thought."

She scowled at this, displeased with his observation. That wasn't true…was it? She was still the same old misanthropic buzzkill she'd always been. She prided herself on that!

Feeling the need to retaliate, she said, "Not as much as Starfire was "rubbing off" on you last night at dinner." The two had been shamelessly flirting. Starfire had sidled up to their leader and whispered something in his ear. The two had shared a private laugh and excused themselves from the room. It had been so blatant and obvious…and embarrassing to be a bystander of.

Robin cleared his throat uncomfortably. It was obvious he'd thought his actions the night before had been more subtle. "Well…um…perhaps a truce is in order."

Raven smirked. "Seems like." She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling as if she'd won that encounter. "Now…do you have anything for me? Or are you going to make me wait here all day?"

He snickered. "Straight to the point, aren't we?"

She stared at him for a long moment, holding her hand out, her expression humorless. "You know I'm not one for games."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "No, which makes it even more odd for you to be dating someone whose favorite thing is games." He crossed to a bench and riffled around in his gym bag.

As she watched him, his words filled her with guilt. She tried to keep the intimacies of her relationship with Beast Boy private, and criticizing him in front of the others was not something she wanted to do. "I just…I don't know how to do the games thing. I don't know how to be…normal." She wanted to make sure he understood that her annoyance with the situation was not Garfield's fault. It spoke more to her flaws than his.

Robin straightened back up with an envelope in hand. "You don't need to be normal. You just need to be you. That's enough for him."

She felt her cheeks heat with a blush. "I know. That's why I'm trying…with the whole game thing. I showed up, didn't I?"

He smiled knowingly. "You did." He held the envelope out to her. "And honestly, that says enough if you ask me." He winked at her. "You _love_ him," he said, stretching out the word 'love' to an obnoxious length.

With a snap of her fingers, she'd clamped a black palm made of her soul-self over his mouth. "So what if I do?"

His eyes narrowed and he pointed demandingly to his mouth.

With a sigh, Raven released him. Before he'd even taken a breath, she was ripping open the envelope to get at whatever was inside.

Robin rubbed at his jaw as if her silencing him had hurt—when she knew it hadn't. "Don't get mad at me for pointing out the obvious," he said, a challenge in his voice.

"Obvious?" she asked with disdain. "How have I—"

"You two were on Jump City News last week. Beast Boy called you the love of his life, and you returned the sentiment."

"I did not," she said as she pulled a card from the envelope. "I said, and I quote, ' _I don't disagree_.' That isn't the same thing as returning the sentiment."

"Really, Raven?" he asked in amusement. "When are you going to wake up and admit that you're totally head over heels in love with him? When you wake up and find yourself with two kids?"

"Don't even joke about that," she said dryly as she opened the card. As she scanned the sappy message inside, she couldn't help but add, "What is this, Valentine's Day? Who gets a card for Easter?"

Robin snickered. "Apparently you do."

Raven rolled her eyes and read it again, her voice barely above a murmur. "Every first with you is like a new excuse to get excited about being together. Even the small ones. I know you don't love holidays, but I'm hoping I can change your mind. Neither one of us have great track records with family, but maybe that makes this all the more important. We deserve a chance to be happy. _You_ deserve a chance to be happy, to have someone in your life that you classify as family. Let me be that person for you. I want to make this first Easter together memorable, so you never forget how much you matter. Love, Gar."

She bit her bottom lip, taking a moment to drink in the words. She wanted to pretend they didn't affect her, that she was still her heartless, uncaring self. But Garfield had found a way to worm his way inside her heart. It would have angered her—this invasion passed her protective walls—if it didn't melt her heart so damn much. "So cheesy," she grumbled for Robin's benefit, but he merely grinned knowingly at her.

With a huff, she read the rest of the letter. "P.S. Your next instruction can be found where our resident alien princess catches her morning rays." She tucked the letter into the waistband of her shorts, at the small of her back. "So…it's with Starfire. On the roof."

Robin nodded. "He didn't exactly make the riddles hard," he said in amusement.

"Thank Azar," she grumbled. "I think he knew I would kill him if he made this any more difficult on me than it already has been."

Robin laughed with a shake of his head. "Well…enjoy your Easter."

"You too."

He snickered. "Sure. Starfire is making me play in a field of bunnies with her later."

This drew a genuine laugh from Raven. She could not envision their fearless leader frolicking in a field of bunnies. It was just too humorous. "How did we get mixed up with people so opposite of us in personality?" she asked him.

"I think we needed it," he said, his voice full of honesty. "People like the two of us need someone to lighten our lives. Otherwise we'd go insane. Or submit to the darkness within ourselves." He paused, then added, "Raven, I'm glad you're happy."

"I'm glad you're happy too."

He offered her a smile, before nodding toward the door. "Get out of here. Go chase down your happy."

OOOOO

Raven opened the door to the roof and headed in the direction of the pool. She could hear splashing and knew it was Starfire. Star always enjoyed getting in a few laps before breakfast. "Starfire?" she called out as she approached.

She was not expecting the sight that greeted her.

Starfire vaulted out of the pool—completely naked. Dripping wet, she wrapped Raven up in a big hug. "Friend Raven! I am most excited to be a part of your mating ritual. It is an honor."

Raven blinked in surprise, feeling chlorine water soak into her t-shirt. "Um…not a mating ritual."

Starfire pulled back to stare down into Raven's eyes. "Easter is a human ritual, is it not? And you have chosen Beast Boy as your mate. Hence—mating ritual."

Unable to argue that logic, Raven simply extracted herself from Starfire's grip. "So…did Beast Boy leave a message for me with you? He's doing this silly scavenger hunt—"

"I am most excited about the hunt of the scavengers," Starfire gushed. "I am very pleased to be included." Still naked as could be, she headed for one of the lounge chairs and lifted up a small wreath of flowers.

"Beast Boy left a large arrangement of flowers for you, but I braided them together into a tiara for you. I figured you would much appreciate having your hands free for your hunting."

Raven eyed the crown of flowers, impressed. "You made that?" She assumed there was some sore of wire in the middle to give the crown support, but around it was a layer of Baby's Breath. The small white flowers made a beautiful base in which she'd braided in orange and yellow roses. "It's beautiful. And it's not often you see orange roses…"

"Orange roses signify passion and intense desire, not to mention a sense of fascination," Starfire said as she perched the crown on Raven's head and began looping locks of hair around the base to keep it in place.

"I'm sure he wasn't thinking that deeply into it. He probably just liked the color."

Starfire shook her head vehemently. "You are the wrong. He told me he picked the colors with you in mind. Passion. Intense desire. Fascination." She smirked. "And yellow roses signify friendship."

She fluffed out Raven's hair, a smile on her lips. "He said this was very important, the fact that you were close friends before you became lovers. It makes your relationship all the more precious."

"Oh." Raven felt her cheeks heating up. He put so much thought and effort into things, and she'd prided herself on simply remembering his birthday. She really needed to get better at this relationship thing.

…Though he hadn't complained last month with the initiative she took in their relationship. Her lips curved into a grin at this. No, he definitely hadn't been complaining. Not then or any of the other times they'd been together over the past month.

And though it somewhat surprised her, she had no complaints either. Seeing as she had so much trouble with intimacy and emotions, she'd thought sex would be a nightmare. She'd thought it would be a stress on her psyche, that she wouldn't be able to handle the intimacy of it. That she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions under control enough. And that had made her assume she wouldn't be able to enjoy it. But she did enjoy it. She enjoyed it _a lot_.

"Ooh! You're thinking about sex," Starfire accused with a point of her finger in Raven's direction.

Raven jumped, startled at Starfire's observation. "No I'm not." The denial was spoken too quickly, too adamantly. It was a dead giveaway.

"Please," Starfire said with amusement. "You think I do not recognize the expression of someone thinking about sex?" She snorted. "I know I can be naïve at times, but I'm not that naïve."

"Whatever," Raven grumbled, feeling her face heat with embarrassment.

"Is he any good?" Starfire asked with mock innocence.

Raven gaped at her friend in astonishment. "I'm not telling you that!"

Smirking, Starfire merely raised a brow.

"Fine," Raven said in breathless embarrassment. "He's good. Really good."

"I thought so," Starfire said with a playful smirk. "You've been smiling a lot more this past month. I figured that was why."

Raven pressed her lips together but refused to answer. She was embarrassed enough as it was. "So do you have a clue for me or what?" she finally asked.

Starfire jumped to attention at this question. "Oh yes! Your message. I was to give you the flowers then relay your next stop on this quest."

Raven rolled her eyes at the term "quest". This was far from a quest. It was more like a leisurely walk around the house. "Lay it on me."

"Beast Boy told me to relay this to you word for word." Starfire drew in a dramatic breath. "You will find your next clue where my best friend spends his leisure time. The place you two often bond together." After delivering her line, she beamed. "Do you know where it is?" she asked in excitement.

Raven lifted a brow at her friend's enthusiasm. "I think that one's quite obvious. I've got to go see Cyborg in the garage."

Starfire clapped in delight. "Most magnificent." She grabbed Raven by the shoulders. "Do give friend Beast Boy a kiss on the cheek from me. He is most romantic." Then she planted her lips firmly against Raven's cheek.

Raven squirmed slightly, but she'd gotten mostly used to the alien's outward displays of affection. "Will do." She extracted herself from Starfire's grip and backed toward the door. "Um…enjoy your Easter."

"Oh, I will," Starfire called merrily. "Robin has promised to take me on a recovery mission to find eggs stolen by the magical bunny. I hear it is an Earth tradition."

Raven chuckled at this. She often forgot how excited Starfire got over simple things she'd never gotten to experience before—things like an egg hunt. "Sounds awesome. Have fun." And with that, she headed for her next clue.

OOOOO

Raven entered the garage to find Cyborg under the hood of the T-Car. She smiled affectionately as she approached. "Hey there."

He leaned over her to peer around the hood. "Hey. It's about time you got here. I've been going crazy."

"Oh?" she asked, raising her brow. "Didn't realize my presence meant that much to you."

He snickered. "There's that…and the fact that BB left me an Easter basket for you full of goodies. I've been trying to behave myself, but I've caved a few times and stolen some chocolate."

She burst into laughter at his predicament. "You poor thing. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was putting you through such a hardship."

"Well now you know."

Raven made her way around behind the car and lifted up the large, ornate basket on the workspace behind him. "Aren't I a little old for an Easter basket?" She rifled around in its contents, noticing boxes of her favorite tea mixed in with other sweets. Pulling out a handful of individually wrapped chocolate eggs, she handed them to Cyborg. "For your troubles."

He took the offered candy. Unwrapping one, he sent her a teasing smirk. "Grass Stain predicted you'd say you were too old for a basket." He popped the chocolate into his mouth and chewed. Upon swallowing, he added, "He also told me to ask you how many Easter baskets you've gotten in your life."

"Well, seeing as my father is a demon and pretty much the opposite of all things Easter… Add in that I was raised by Monks…"

"So none."

"So what?" she asked, feeling slightly defensive.

"He said it's time you finally got to experience some of the human cultures you were deprived of growing up."

"I'm not Starfire," she grumbled. "I'm not bursting at the seams to experience all humanity has to offer."

"Well, he's bursting at the seams for you."

She let out a huff. "Human stuff is lame."

"Says the girl clutching that basket to her chest like it's full of gold."

She hadn't even realized she was holding it so tightly. Relaxing her grip, she stared into its contents again, a warm and fuzzy feeling filling her chest. "Maybe I like the basket a little," she relented. "There's tea in there."

Cyborg burst into laughter. "He sure knows you, doesn't he?"

She shrugged and leaned against the T-Car. "I suppose."

He rolled his eyes at her reluctance. "That boy thinks you're the most fabulous thing in the world." He sent her a pointed look. "Just be good to him."

"I will."

He leaned over and ruffled her hair. "I know you will."

She wrenched away from him with a laugh. "Starfire will kill you if you mess up her flower crown."

"Well, I wouldn't want to mess with your flower crown." Cyborg let out a chuckle.

Raven rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Yeah. We wouldn't want to mess with that."

He laughed again before nudging her with an elbow. "What are you doing still hanging around here? Shouldn't you be off celebrating your over-the-top Easter?"

She sent him a pointed look. "Aren't you supposed to be telling me where to go next?" she asked in return.

"I kind of forgot about that part." He winked at her before snatching another piece of chocolate up, unwrapping it, and stuffing it into his mouth. "The Grass Stain told me to have you meet him on the beach. He said you would know the spot." He sent her a curious look. "He said something about you throwing him into the ocean there."

Raven let out a laugh of surprise. "How can I forget about that? Of course I know the place he means."

Cyborg shook his head with a chuckle. "You two are so weird."

"Yeah," she said affectionately, pleased by his observation. She knew most people envisioned her with the gothic type. Someone bleak and dark. Someone who wore all black. But what she really needed was a cheesy goofball to keep her brooding nature in check. With a little wave, she headed for the doorway. "I'll see you later."

"See ya. Enjoy your holiday."

"I will." And for the first time, she truly meant that.

OOOOO

Raven approached the instructed spot on the beach with a little grin on her face. She could see Garfield from a mile away as he sat on a blanket, staring out at the ocean. He looked lost in thought, his gaze captured by the ocean.

When she reached him, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I got your messages."

He looked up at her with one of his classic grins, one of the ones where the corner of his eyes crinkled in pleasure, one that always caused her heart to patter more forcefully in her chest. "It didn't drive you too crazy, did it?" he asked hopefully.

"The right amount of crazy," she said as she plopped down onto the blanket beside him. She stared out at the ocean herself for a moment before asking, "So what is this all about?"

He grinned, shrugged a shoulder, then followed her gaze to the ocean. "I like making things special for you."

"You mean over the top," she corrected warmly.

"It's kind of what I do."

"I noticed." She rocked her body into his in a show of affection. "I like the basket. That was sweet of you." She paused a moment, then added, "You're too good to me."

He lifted an arm and draped it over her shoulder, hugging her in against his side. "There's no such thing."

She turned her face toward him, looking up at his profile. She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say to that. So instead she merely gaped at him.

Garfield chuckled and turned to face her on the blanket. "Stop looking so astonished that someone wants to shower you with affection. You're great. You deserve it." He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear before ducking down to brush his lips against hers. His gaze heated and he turned his attention to her exposed shoulder. Lowering his mouth, he pressed a kiss against her bare skin. "I love you in this top," he murmured as his lips grazed her collarbone.

When he pulled back, his eyes were glittering with amusement, as if he was fully aware that her choice of wardrobe had been done in pure stubbornness. "Now," he said with authority. "What do you say to some breakfast on the beach?" He motioned toward a basket behind him.

She glanced at the basket, at the pot of tea that sat beside it, at the rose petals decorating the blanket. And at the wrapped gift that was almost hidden behind the basket. He'd put in a lot of effort. It once again made her feel guilty. She loved him. She thought about him constantly when she wasn't with him, but she still wasn't to that point where she was able to do…things like this. They just didn't come naturally to her. She never thought to plan things or do something special for him. That all still felt beyond her social capabilities.

Then a memory popped into her head. With a gasp, she sat up straight. "I totally want some breakfast on the beach. Just…give me a minute." She hopped to her feet in a hurry. Then she dropped back to her knees, placed a hand at the back of his neck, and gave him a firm kiss. "I'll be back." Then she hopped back up and teleported into her room.

Once there, she rushed over to her desk and yanked open the center drawer. Sitting there was a small stack of comic books. There was a green ribbon holding them together that came to a bow in the center. She _did_ think of him. Maybe she wasn't as bad at this girlfriend thing as she thought. Because she'd snuck a peak at his list of comics and made a note of a few rare ones he was hoping to find. It had taken her a bit of searching, but she'd eventually come across them.

Lifting the comics up into her hand, she grinned. She might not have a basket for him, but at least she had _something_. She had some proof that she thought of him when he wasn't around, that he mattered to her.

She was about to teleport back to the beach when she faltered, another thought entering her mind. "No," she said softly, internally chastising herself for even thinking it. There was no way she would possibly… "Damn it," she grumbled. She would.

Dropping the comics to her bed, she tugged the t-shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Then she slipped out of her shorts, placing the card she'd tucked into the waistband onto her desk. Moving to her closet, she rifled around in the back— _way_ in the back—and tugged out a lilac sundress. It was calf-length, a spaghetti strap type of deal. Starfire had bought it for her long ago, and she'd vowed never to wear it, even though Starfire repeated told her how pretty the color was on her, how well it fit her form.

Was she really about to wear this? After just this morning saying she wouldn't? With a groan at what a girl she was becoming, she pulled the dress over her head and smoothed it down over her hips.

She approached her mirror and stared down her own reflection. Her hair fell in loose waves, with the crown of flowers braided into it. Her face was void of makeup, but she liked it that way. It gave everything a more natural look. The lilac dress hugged her curves nicely before flaring out around her calves. She looked…pretty. She'd never considered herself to be such a thing. She was too pale. Too short. Not girly enough. But as she stared at her reflection, she couldn't deny it.

She smiled at herself, pleased with how far her self-confidence had come in these past few months. She was not the type to place her worth on what a man thought about her, but she was finally starting to see herself through Gar's eyes. She was beginning to see more than just a half demon with a massive amount of baggage. She was seeing someone with potential.

Backing away from the mirror, she picked the comics up and teleported back to the blanket where Beast Boy waited.

The instant she appeared, his eyes widened. "Wow. You look…beautiful." He quickly corrected himself. "I mean, you looked sexy before, don't get me wrong, but…wow."

She smiled at him, then rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm wearing a dress. Let's not talk about it." Plopping down beside him, she thrust the comic books into his hands. "I got something for you."

His eyes widened once again—this time in surprise. "You got something for me?" His puzzlement quickly turned into delight, and the boyish grin on his face made her vow to do things like this more often. She suddenly understood why he enjoyed doing things for her so much. It was nice to make someone smile.

She placed her hands slightly behind her on the blanket and leaned onto her straightened arms as she watched him untie the green ribbon. The eagerness in his eyes was something she'd rarely seen outside of the bedroom, and it made her laugh lightly.

He lifted his gaze to hers, giving her a little grin, before tossing the ribbon to the side. Lifting the stack of comics into his hands, he shuffled through them, his grin widening with each one. "How did you… Where did you find… I can't believe…"

Once he reached the last comic book, he carefully tossed the stack to the side and lunged across the blanket at her.

She gave a little squeak of surprise as his arms wrapped suddenly around her back and he leaned down over her, on his knees slightly above her. His mouth was on hers an instant later. He kissed her firmly, passionately. "I love you," he whispered against her lips.

She smirked against his lips, his affection never getting old. "I take it you like them," she said when he finally pulled back.

"You know I do." He kissed her again. "But I like you even more." And again.

As each kiss grew in intensity, she found her elbows sinking toward the blanket. She found him lowering over her. Their bodies moved in tandem, in fluid motion, and before she realized it, he was on top of her.

She moaned into his mouth, arching against him at the familiar sensation of his muscled body fitting perfectly against her curves. It had been over a month since they'd first had sex with one another, but it still felt new and exciting each time. She hadn't grown bored of the act—she was fairly certain she never would.

But it was still a bit surprising the control he had over her body. He could elicit a fire in her with a simple touch. He could have her wanting him with a pointed look in her direction. With a little shiver, she wondered when she would stop being so easily swept away by him. Would she ever learn to control her desire? For someone so used to having her emotions under control, she was at a loss on how to reign in her hormones. It was alarming and exciting all at the same time. He had an effect on her that had been completely unforeseen.

Garfield's fingers tiptoed slowly up the inside of her leg, disappearing beneath her dress. He caressed her inner thigh, slowly continuing upward. He braced himself up high on an elbow so he could get his hand between them, could continue on his tantalizingly slow trail upward. When his fingers reached the front of her panties and he caressed her through the thin material, she gave a whimper of need.

He groaned into her mouth, never breaking their kiss as he gently stroked along the fabric with his fingers, touching her in a way he knew would get a reaction from her.

But just as she was arching her hips up in reaction to his ministrations, he was suddenly pulling away. He sat back on his heels. Then taking her hand, he pulled her back to a seated position. "We need to stop this immediately," he said with a chuckle.

When she blinked at him, still in a daze, he chuckled again. He lifted a finger and pointed at the Tower behind them. "All it would take is one of our friends looking out the window and they could easily see everything we're doing down here." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "As much fun as I was having, I don't want the others witnessing…that."

His words were like a bucket of ice water being dumped on her. "Oh!" He was right. She did not want their friends to see them sprawled on a blanket with Gar's hand under her dress. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the thought. "Good call."

He winked playfully before leaning over to grab the wrapped package hidden behind the picnic basket. "Besides, I wanted to give this to you. It's only fair since I opened your gift."

Raven accepted the small package and placed it in her lap. "Okay. But you know… You don't have to buy me things all the time, Gar. I—"

He cut her off. "Just open it."

Behind his amusement, she could see nerves. Puzzled at this, she ripped a corner of the red wrapping paper and tore it away. Once the paper was gone, she was left with a simple box. Lifting the lid, she set it aside and pulled out the small, folded piece of cloth.

She frowned in puzzlement at the chocolate brown material. It wasn't large enough to be clothing. But she wasn't quite sure… Unfolding it, she lifted her gaze to his in confusion. "Is this…is this a pillow case?"

He nodded. He licked his lips nervously before speaking. "I-I want you to move in with me."

"Move in with you?" she asked, not following where he was going with this.

He rushed to explain. "I know that sounds kind of silly. We already live in the same house together. We've lived together for years. But…" He shrugged. "I don't like sleeping without you."

He offered her a nervous smile. "My bed feels empty. I toss and turn. The nights you sleep in bed with me are amazing. I want that. Every night." He held up a hand to silence her before she could speak. "I get that maybe it's practical for you to keep your own room. It's only a few doors down from mine anyway. We've both got a lot of stuff, and I know you like your own quiet, private space. I'm not asking you to uproot everything. I'm just asking you to sleep with me. Spend your nights in my bed. I don't want to be without you anymore."

After letting that all out in one quick string, he expelled a nervous exhale. "So…what do you think?"

The hopeful expression on his face melted her heart. He'd cemented her decision with his admittance that he didn't like sleeping without her. She didn't like sleeping without him either. She'd been having trouble sleeping in her own bed lately. She'd blamed it on the bed, going as far as considering getting a new mattress. But he was right. The problem wasn't the mattress. The problem was that he wasn't there. "I hope you have a spare pillow to put in this thing, because I'll be there tonight."

He grinned in excitement before swooping forward and claiming her lips in a kiss. When he pulled back, there was a teasing, playful grin on his lips. "I can't wait to spend every night with your cold feet curled up against my ankles and those chilly fingers of yours under my t-shirt."

"Shut up," she said with a laugh. She did have a habit of snuggling up to him for warmth. And warm he was. Her hands always fit nicely up his shirt, where she could steal some of his heat. "You love it."

"I do." He gave her another kiss before leaning back and grabbing the picnic basket. "Now that I'm not so nervous I feel like I could vomit, how about we have some breakfast?"

Raven nodded, a small grin on her lips as she settled in beside him. She knew life would always have its challenges, but right now, it was as perfect as it could possibly be.

 _Foreboding. Bum, bum, bum. I spent the first half of the year building up their relationship. Now I'm going to test it. Some challenges coming their way next month._


	8. Chapter 8: Fractured

_This is a shorter one, I apologize for that, but I feel like it packs a punch! I looked to maybe add to the word count, but it felt right how it is. Short but…impactful. I hope you enjoy it!_

 _Aqua Rules—That is one of the things I love about Raven, how much she secretly enjoys the attention. She's reserved, but for those who have forced their way in (BB and Starfire) she really does care for them and grudgingly enjoys putting up with their nonsense._

 _Anonymoose: About that angsty cliffhanger… Yeah…_

 _YourDemonicAssassin—Glad you enjoyed the silliness of it. Raven needs a bit of silly in her life, even if she doesn't realize it. And wait no more, turmoil is here!_

 _Dwhispers—You are right, Raven needs that unrestrained enthusiasm that is Beast Boy. She does. And have no fears, I'm not the type for tragic endings, they'll figure it out. They've just got some challenges ahead. Bum, bum, bum…_

 _And now…_

 **Fractured**

Garfield Logan clenched his jaw and curled his fingers into fists. He was being tested. And he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going. What was being done to him was torture.

Delicious, sweet, agonizing torture.

Beneath him, Raven let out a ragged exhale. Her body writhed against his, the sweat beading on her bare shoulder calling out to him.

He lowered his mouth, pressing a kiss to her gleaming flesh. Then, unable to resist, he nipped lightly at her skin, his teeth more graze than bite.

She whimpered throatily, the sound igniting a fire in him that made it even more difficult to restrain himself. He hadn't realized that was even possible. "Gar…"

He shifted so he could stare down into her violet eyes. As he did, she exhaled, her breath grazing his lips erotically. He groaned, brushing his lips against hers.

It wasn't enough for her. She tilted her face up and captured his mouth in a desperate kiss, her tongue clashing with his.

He slid a hand down her thigh until he was able to grip it. Then he tugged her leg up higher around his waist, tighter against him. He could feel himself losing control, getting closer to that glorious release.

And that was when the Tower's alarm sounded. It rang through the quiet, demanding attention.

With a groan of disbelief, he stopped his rhythmic thrusting and pushed himself up on his knees.

Raven's eyes widened in horror. "Don't you dare."

He gaped down at her in surprise. "But the alarm…" Raven was the most dedicated super hero he'd ever met. He'd never thought there would be anything capable of delaying her in answering the call to duty.

"The alarm can wait two minutes. Just…finish." She bit her lip, her expression looking adorably guilty. "I need to finish."

"You don't need to ask me twice, baby." He eased himself back down to her.

"Don't call me 'baby'."

He shoved himself back inside of her, driving in deep, so deep. "Whatever you say, baby."

She gasped at the sudden invasion, but it quickly transformed into a moan. Even so, she dug her nails into his back in a silent reprimand for calling her the seemingly offensive nickname.

He chuckled as he thrust into her, hard enough to rock the bed ever so slightly. "Joke's on you. I liked that."

"Shut up," she grumbled breathlessly. "Just keep going."

Smirking, he lowered his head over her shoulder and set to work, taking his task seriously. He knew they had limited time, so he needed to focus. He thrust into her, setting up a swift rhythm.

She arched into him, her moans driving him on. "Please…please."

He was more than happy to oblige. He thrust harder, driving as deeply as he could go. And then he felt it—her muscles clamped down around him. Her body quivered, shockwaves of pleasure echoing into him.

It was too much to bear, and it dragged him over the edge with her. Letting out a guttural growl, he crashed over the precipice into blessed euphoria. His entire body stiffened as he emptied himself inside of her. The moment seemed to drag out, lengthening into endless pleasure.

When he was finally able to reign himself in, he collapsed to her, nuzzling himself in against her body. It was the animals in him. After sex, he always wanted to curl himself around her. He had a built-in need to protect, to nestle into her and make sure she felt safe. "I love you," he whispered against her shoulder, giving it another kiss. This one was gentler, loving.

"I know you do," Raven said with a playful little smirk curving her lips.

Beast Boy snickered and curled his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "You're lucky I'm not one of those insecure guys."

"If you were, I wouldn't be with you," she said.

He opened his mouth to comment further when there was a loud knock at the door.

"Beast Boy! What are you doing in there? Let's go!" The familiar sound of Robin's voice filled the room. Their fearless leader was obviously in a hurry to get to wherever their mission was.

"I'm coming!" His holler echoed into the hallway, hopefully appeasing Robin.

"What do you think his reaction would be if you told him we were busy having sex?" Raven asked in amusement.

Beast Boy shook his head with a little laugh. "I'm not even going to go there. But it shows the level of comedic progress you've made that you're even willing to joke about it."

She wriggled out from underneath him and slid out of the bed to her feet. "Just don't let the others know how funny I am," she said dryly, that subtle wit of hers that he absolutely loved shining through.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said as he sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed.

She rolled her eyes but came closer anyway. Leaning down, she cupped his face and pressed her lips gently to his. "I love you too."

He knew those words weren't easy for her, knew how much they cost her. He knew they made her feel vulnerable, weak. But she said them anyway. "I know you do," he said, tossing her words back at her. But where hers had been teasing, his held a seriousness to them. He never wanted her to question if she was doing enough, expressing herself enough. "I'll see you out there."

"Be careful, Gar," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Nor I you." He took her arm and pulled her in between his legs. She was short enough that with a gentle tug of her hand, he was able to pull her lips down to his. "Be careful."

"I always am." She offered him a soft, affection look before extracting herself and disappearing through a portal back into her own room. Most of her clothing was there anyway. Plus, it would keep Robin from knowing what they'd been up to. Even though their friends knew about their relationship, they still tried to be subtle about the details of it. He understood that Raven was private, so tried to adhere to that. He wanted to do everything possible to make her feel comfortable in their relationship.

Outside his door, he heard Robin's booted feet stomping down the hallway a moment before his leader was pounding on his door once again. "Beast Boy! What's the hold up?"

"I'm coming!" he called out in reassurance. With a sigh, Garfield pushed his way out of bed to get dressed. He would have much rather spent his evening snuggled up with a certain half demon, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. Duty called.

OOOO

Beast Boy stared at the villain in front of him with an expression of disgust plastered across his face. His lips were twisted in annoyance, and he shot Robin a look of exasperation. "Really? I had to cut short—" He clamped his mouth shut, realizing he'd almost said the word 'sex'. That was far from what he wanted to be talking about in front of the team, a store full of witnesses, and their current villain. "Lounging about in bed for this?"

Raven's expression never changed, never gave a thing away. Damn, she was good. Even when he nearly slipped up, she was cool as a cucumber.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Control Freak said. "Do you have somewhere better to be?"

"Yes!" Beast Boy cried. "A thousand times yes."

"He is the correct," Starfire said, backing Beast Boy up. "I was watching a documentary on Earth penguins and they are the most adorable. I was very displeased to be called away."

"Well, next time I rob an electronics store I'll make sure to call and clear it with your schedules first," Control Freak said snidely.

"Not sensing his sarcasm, Starfire beamed. "That would be the most appreciated."

"I wasn't serious," Control Freak snapped in irritation, crossing his arms indignantly over his chest. His disgruntled gaze slipped to Raven. "And I assume you were super busy as well?" he asked snidely. "Busy spending your time with the green turd."

"The green turd makes me laugh," she said dryly.

It took Beast Boy a moment to realize he'd been insulted. "Hey!" he cried in outrage.

Control Freak ignored him and took a step closer to Raven. "You're wasting your time on that clown. Have you ever considered hooking up with a guy who knows his way around a software program?"

This question seemed to genuinely surprise Raven. Her brow rose and she blinked at him for a moment in confusion. "Are you referring to yourself?"

Control Freak's shoulders hunched. "Is there a problem with that?"

Raven frowned. "Yeah. There's a big problem with that. First off, you're a villain. I'm a hero. That's a recipe for disaster. Second, you're not even remotely funny."

"I could be funny," Control Freak said haughtily.

Cyborg, who was standing close to Beast Boy, leaned over to whisper to him. "This is getting weird."

"Yeah," Garfield said in agreement. Normally, he was not the type of guy to rush to his girlfriend's rescue. He knew Raven wouldn't like that. She could handle herself just fine. But this was becoming really bizarre, and perhaps it was time to remind Control Freak that Raven did in fact have a boyfriend. One that was standing only a few feet away.

Walking over to Raven's side, he stood next to her, his shoulders squared, his head held high. "I think this has gone on long enough. Are we here to fight or so you can harass Raven?"

Control Freak's nose curled in distaste. "Fine. Have it your way." From his pocket, he withdrew an instrument that looked similar to a radar gun. "If you guys love each other so much, why don't you just _be_ one another?"

Before Beast Boy could react, could move, Control Freak lifted the weapon and fired.

The blast from the gun knocked Garfield backward. He hit the wall of the store with a resounding crunch and dropped roughly to the floor. Beside him, Raven crumpled into a heap. He heard shouts from his fellow teammates, heard a fight begin, but he was more worried about what that gun had done to them.

Crawling to her side, he helped Raven ease up into a seated position. "Are you okay?" he asked frantically. "Did he hurt you?"

She groaned, placing her hand against a bleeding scrape on her forehead. "I'm fine. I'm fine." Despite her words of reassurance, she looked slightly dazed.

"That weapon…" Garfield looked down at himself, frantically patting at his chest, looking for any signs of damage. "It shot some type of beam at us…"

"I feel fine," Raven assured him. A glance at her showed she'd quickly recovered, rebounding from the unexpected blast. "You know, aside from crashing into the wall." She groaned as she pushed herself to her feet. "Worry about it later. Right now, we need to stop him from causing any more trouble."

His lips curled into a smile at her tenacity. "You're a bad ass, you know that?" he asked as he staggered less gracefully to his feet.

"I do." She winked at him. "But I never mind hearing confirmation of it." With that, she darted off to join their friends, who were in the process of chasing after Control Freak.

The villain had ducked out into the street and was racing away on foot, not a wise move considering his obvious lack of routine exercise.

Beast Boy turned into a cheetah and went racing after the group, but Robin reached Control Freak before Gar even placed a padded paw to the sidewalk.

Robin's staff came whipping around at Control Freak's ankles, and he swept the villain down to the sidewalk. Control Freak attempted to roll to his feet, but Robin pressed his staff down into the man's chest, holding him in place. "Not your day, Freak. Not your day."

Control Freak seemed to deflate. He let out a sigh and went limp against the pavement. "No. It's not."

Robin rolled him over and fastened a set of plastic zip tie cuffs to the man's wrists. "What were you even looking for in there anyway?" he asked, almost sympathetically. "Petty thievery is usually above you."

Beast Boy came to a stop a few feet away from them. He shifted back into his human form and took a protective step in the direction of where Raven stood. She seemed fine, but he was still worried about how roughly she'd hit that wall.

Before he could ask her how she felt, Control Freak answered Robin. "Maybe I wasn't looking to steal anything."

"Then what were you looking for?" Robin asked.

Control Freak's gaze swept to Raven and he glared. "Maybe I was here for someone, not something."

"I'm not sure what that means," Robin said as Beast Boy stepped protectively in front of Raven, "but whatever you were going for, you failed."

Police sirens sounded from not far off and Gar was filled with relief that they could hand over Control Freak and be done with him. The villain was starting to freak him out.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't," the villain said ominously.

"You definitely did," Cyborg said in annoyance. He stepped forward and yanked Control Freak up off of the pavement as the police cruiser came careening around the corner. "Now stop being so creepy."

Beast Boy couldn't have agreed more. As the cruiser came to a halt in front of them, he took Raven's hand and tugged her back in the direction of the store they'd vacated. Someone would be needed inside to talk to witnesses, check for damage. He wanted that to be the two of them. The farther away from Control Freak they were, the better he would feel.

OOOO

Garfield turned his face up to the cascade of scalding hot water and let out a shaky exhale. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but something about this mission had freaked him out a bit. Since he and Raven had gotten together, they'd been on plenty of missions together. They'd both been banged up, injured, and targeted. But something about tonight had just felt… _different_.

He couldn't put his finger on it exactly. Was it the unknown factor of Control Freak's weapon? He hoped so, because he wasn't about to become the guy who freaked out any time someone looked sideways at his girlfriend. Raven was beautiful and bound to draw the eye of a villain now and then. Going into this relationship, he'd known that was something he'd have to deal with.

But this incident with Control Freak had been creepy. Well, creepier than usual.

"We're fine," he mumbled under his breath, his words swallowed up by the spray of water. "We're perfectly fine."

A small 'pop' sound from behind clued him in to Raven's sudden presence.

"Opening portals into my shower now, are you?" he asked with amusement. Just her mere presence had some of his anxiety melting away, and he was more grateful for that than he wanted to admit. He was completely rattled after their last mission, and that was unlike him. Usually, he was one to let things go almost immediately, but something about this was sticking with him. He couldn't place his finger on why, but his stomach was still filled with a sense of unease.

"As if you're complaining."

She had a point there. He wouldn't ever complain about her popping up in his shower. Her arms slipped around his chest and she stepped in against his back, curling herself around him. And she naked at that! Nope, he was not going to complain.

"Robin just got back. He said Freak refused to talk." She let out a weary sigh. "He wouldn't tell Robin what that weapon was supposed to do. I guess it doesn't matter, because it didn't work, but it would still be nice to know what he'd attempted to do to us."

"What are the odds of Cyborg being able to figure it out?"

Raven shrugged before placing her cheek against his back. "He's looking at it now, but Control Freak smashed it before Robin took him down. So not only does it not work, it's cracked. I'm not sure how much good it will be. It might be asking too much of Cyborg to get any answers from that thing." There was a brief silence before she asked, "Are you okay?"

Her question caught him by surprise. He turned around to stare down into her perceptive violet eyes. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You seemed kind of freaked out by what happened this afternoon."

He shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah…I don't know. A bad guy pummels me into the ground and I'm fine. But shoot some mysterious ray at me and I get all worried." He sighed, brushing her damp hair away from her face. "He just seemed too fixated on us. I'm not sure what that was about."

" _I'll_ be too fixated on you," Raven said with a little purr, her hands sliding seductively down his stomach.

He knew she was trying to distract him from his concerns, but it worked. Man, did it work. He let out a little growl and pulled her closer. "Is that so?"

She nodded, a smirk on her lips. "I've never had sex in a shower before…"

"Well, there's a first time for everything." With that, he hefted her up, spun, and pinned her to the tiled wall of the shower. "And I'm glad to be the one you experience such firsts with."

Her legs wrapped around his waist, his mouth descended on hers, and suddenly his concerns felt miles away.

OOOO

Even in his sleep, Garfield sensed that something was off, something wasn't right. His eyes popped open and he stared up at the ceiling for a moment, gathering his bearings. He was in his room, in his bed. That was at least correct. So what was it that had woken him?

He pushed up onto his elbows. As he did, a rumbling against his stomach drew his attention. He lowered his gaze to his bare abdomen to find a snowy white cat curled up on his belly.

Being what he was, the sight of the animal didn't frighten or startle him. It had his lips curling into a small grin. "Well, hello there, cutie." He reached down to scratch behind the cat's ears and its purrs reverberated through him. "How did you get in here?" It wasn't like Titan's Tower was easy to breach. All manner of bad guys had tried, but it was this petite feline that had succeeded.

He ran his hand down the length of the cat, and as he did, markings along the back of its head—a patch on its hind leg—caused him pause. There were areas of purple in the fur. "A purple cat?" he asked, concern filling him. This wasn't just any cat, something in his gut told him that.

He shifted his gaze to the spot on the bed next to his own and was surprised to find it empty. Raven was gone. Why was Raven gone? Dread overwhelmed him, his stomach roiling with worry as he glanced back at the cat.

The cat's eyes flickered open lazily and he sucked in a sharp breath as familiar violet eyes stared back at him. "Raven?" he whispered in horror.

Confusion filled those eyes, but a moment later, the being seemed to realize its form. The cat gave a screech of alarm. In a panic, it jumped to the floor and began running in frantic circles, its sides heaving with its terrified breaths.

Beast Boy slipped out of bed, his bare feet hitting the floor as he propelled himself up and toward the cat.

Before he could reach it, a loud 'pop' sounded. The space where the cat had once sat was now occupied by a naked Raven. Her ribs pulled harshly inward as she took gulping breaths. "What is happening to me?" she cried in fear.

And then in the next instant she was gone, replaced by the cat once again.

Beast Boy reached for her, but the cat recoiled with a hiss. Fear for her raced through him, nearly overwhelming him.

…And then suddenly his own fear was drowned out by every emotion he'd ever experienced in his life. He was bombarded by his teammates. Cyborg was frustrated with the busted weapon. His annoyance lashed at Garfield like a whip. Robin and Starfire were in Robin's room, and the lust and pleasure and excitement hit him like a physical blow, knocking him to his knees. Their emotions were too much for him to handle, too strong. His hands went to his head and he clutched at his hair. "No…too much…" His sensed seemed to reach out without his consent and suddenly he could feel a man, a stranger, somewhere on the beach, and he was angry. So angry…

Around him, he heard glass shattering throughout the room. In the deep recesses of his mind, he understood it was his fault—his doing—but he couldn't reign himself in. He couldn't control the foreign power racing through him, threatening to overpower him.

Raven burst into being once again, her fingers clawing at the floor as if she could somehow keep purchase of her form if she could hold on to her surroundings. Her fear hit him hardest, as she was so close in proximity, her emotions so close to the surface, and their lives linked so deeply.

Her terror slammed into him with the force of a truck. It hit him in the skull, and he worried it might explode, as if struck by a bullet. As Raven's terror dragged him down to a darker place than he'd ever been before, he worried he was dying, worried this might be the last time he ever saw her. "I can't take anymore!" he screamed, yanking at his hair. And then something exploded in his mind. Stars burst in front of his vision, and suddenly everything went black.

As his body collapsed forward to meet the floor, he welcomed the oblivion. Anything was better than the pain. Even death.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9: Switched

**Switched**

A month. A month had gone by since the most terrifying moment of her entire life. And it wasn't the lack of control over her body that had made it so frightening, though that had helped. No, it was watching Gar fall stiffly to the floor as if dead. That sight had stopped her heart.

She'd known before that moment that she loved him. It was kind of obvious. She'd broken her vow of never getting involved in a serious relationship for him. She'd given him her virginity. She spent every night in his bed, something she never thought would be inside her comfort zone. But watching him fall like that, thinking he might not get back up, it had shaken her to the core.

It had forced her to realize the true depths of her feelings for him. There was being in love with someone, enjoying a relationship and friendship. And then there was _this_. When she'd thought there was a chance she might lose him, a future she'd never known she wanted had flashed before her eyes. A wedding. A house. _Kids_.

Coming to terms with those buried desires was made even more difficult by the fact that tensions had been running high between them this past month. Neither was dealing very well with what Control Freak had done to them. Garfield struggled daily to control her powers. She wanted so desperately to help him, but she was struggling herself. Struggling so much it felt like she was drowning.

She was taking to his powers just as little as he was to hers. The past month had been full of fears and moments of panic. She didn't like not having control over her body. Her entire life had been structured around control and tranquility.

But she couldn't get a handle on his powers, so she found herself turning into animals at odd moments, moments not of her choosing. Animals not of her choosing. There was no control involved, and there surely hadn't been any tranquility this past month either. And her biggest fear—not that she would ever confess it to anyone—was getting stuck in animal form. She couldn't control it. She was at the whim of her body. What if it chose not to come back?

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. She wasn't used to being afraid, especially after she'd gotten Trigon out of her life, but she was afraid now. Daily. And it was taking a toll on her. She wasn't sleeping well, and exhaustion only made her new powers more unstable.

And she was constantly worried about Garfield. He was starting to look sickly. Her powers were sapping him of energy, and she knew it was taking everything in him to keep the damage down to a minimum. Starfire had gotten annoyed with him for breaking her favorite mug the other morning at breakfast, but Raven knew the potential for disaster. She knew what her powers were capable of if he fully lost control. Better a mug than half the Tower. The others had no idea the fire they were playing with.

Her constant concern was chipping away at Garfield's psyche. She knew it, could tell by his pinched expressions whenever she got to worrying. Her emotions were making everything harder on him, but it wasn't like she could shut off her anxiety when she knew he was barely holding it together.

They'd even stopped having sex. It was too much for him, the intimacy. Besides, she was too exhausted recently to feel sexy anyway. He'd stopped trying and she hadn't put up a fight. The flame that had burned so brightly between them all these months had been effectively doused by Control Freak's interference.

The only bright spot in an abysmal month was the fact that Robin was working diligently to fix things.

She'd known Robin considered them family, that he would do anything for them, but this past month he'd shown that to a degree she'd never expected. He worked tirelessly trying to find an answer to their dilemma. He stayed up into the wee hours of the night a few times a week looking through books and searching for answers. He went to the prison just as often to question Control Freak again, as if he could somehow trick the villain into giving him answers. He had Cyborg constantly working on the broken weapon, seeing if he could repair it, seeing if he could reverse its effects somehow. Robin had stepped up in a major way, telling them to merely concentrate on learning how to control their new powers while he handled the rest.

Too bad they were failing on their end of the bargain. Badly.

"You ready to start training?"

She glanced up at the gentle, hesitant question. Garfield stood before her in full uniform, and the expression of dread on his face nearly broke her heart. These training sessions were like torture for the both of them. They were supposed to be showing each other how to use their respective powers, but neither one was learning much and it was only causing strain between them. What was meant to help was only making things worse, but voicing it aloud would be admitting defeat. So they both suffered through, too afraid to stop. Because stopping meant giving up.

"Yeah." It was a lie. She wasn't ready. Not in the slightest. But she didn't really have a choice. Not unless she was ready to officially curl up in a ball and give in to her fears, ready to let Control Freak win.

Her expression must have given her away, because he took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. "Hey…" He laced their fingers, holding on to her tightly, as if afraid she might slip away. "I love you."

The words were right, and she knew he meant them, but the joy that used to sparkle in his eyes was gone. She nodded, feeling tears well. She stepped in closer, not wanting him to see how frightened she was by the absence of happiness in him. She rested her cheek on his chest and just held him for a moment. She was terrified things weren't going to get better and he was going to give up on her. She was terrified this would break them. She was terrified…all the time. "I love you too." She knew one's heart should not ache with such pain at those words, but hers did. How could things have gotten so bad in such a short time?

His hands curled into the fabric of her cape and he held on tightly, as if her fears were reciprocated in him. It was like he was trying to physically grip hold of their relationship and keep it from slipping away.

Raven clung to him just as tightly in return, her heart seizing and constricting. She wanted to beg him not to let go, but before she could form the words, he pulled away.

"We should get to the training room." Keeping his hand in hers, he led her down the hallway. They remained silent on the walk, each lost in their own grim thoughts.

She was relieved that it was still morning. They spent the mornings working on Gar's new powers. At least she could focus on training him for the moment. The afternoons were when they worked on her newly acquired powers. Afternoons were hell. She hated working with powers that weren't her own. She hated how difficult it was for her to transform into animals. And most of all, she hated his powers.

Her own powers had been about control. They'd been about concentration and focus. His powers were about living in the moment, about spontaneity. His powers centered around everything she struggled with. And the more she tried to force spontaneity, the less it came to her.

So yes, she was relieved that it was his turn to practice. In truth, his turn to suffer. And that in itself made her feel guilty. Any relief on her was a weight on him, and vice versa. To say the least, it was putting a little bit of strain on them. They were each trying to be so patient, but it seemed a losing battle. The more they tried, the more they failed. She knew they were both secretly hoping Robin found that magical solution, but each day they remained how they were the less likely it felt like things would ever get back to normal.

As they entered the rooftop, she shot him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "Should we start with meditation?" She saw the look of irritation that flashed across his features and pretended she hadn't. Acknowledging it would only lead to more problems. She'd learned that very quickly.

"Yeah, that sounds great," he said, his voice giving away the lie.

She turned her back on him, pretending she was picking out a good spot, but in truth, she was afraid her expression might give away her returned irritation. It was just meditation. It wasn't like she was asking him to do anything difficult. If he wanted to get her powers under control, he needed to learn to focus. And recently, it didn't feel like he was even trying. "Okay, let's set up here," she said, lowering herself to the ground and getting into a cross-legged position. "It would be really amazing if you were able to focus enough to levitate this morning. That is a big step in gaining control."

"Sure. Levitation. I'll work on that."

She'd closed her eyes upon plunking down, but she peeked an eye open to stare at him.

He was settling in, shifting his weight from side to side as he attempted to get comfortable. He was so antsy. Why was he always so antsy?

When he was finally situated, she reclosed her eye and cleared her mind. _Focus._ She pressed her thumbs to her forefingers and massaged them together very gently. _Clear your mind._ She took a deep, calming breath in through her nose, held it for a moment, then let it gradually out of her mouth.

She continued taking slow, measured breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Before long, she experienced a sensation of weightlessness. It was how she used to feel before levitating during her morning meditation.

Only she couldn't levitate anymore. That reminder dampened any positivity meditation had brought. She missed levitating. More than she cared to put into words.

Still, at least she could fall back on mediation to soothe her soul. It was at least some connection that still remained to her powers. She just needed to be content with that. This was her new daily mantra—be content. It was what she clung to, the most she could hope for.

Her concentration was suddenly broken by shuffling. She peeked her eye open once more to find Garfield shifting around again, redistributing his weight from one thigh to the other.

He must have sensed her impatience with his new telepathic powers, because his eyes popped open and he flashed her a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

She forced down her annoyance and nodded in understanding. "It's all right. I know this is all new for you. Just try to focus."

"Trying." He let out his breath with a forceful exhale and closed his eyes once more.

Raven followed his lead, letting her lashes flutter closed as she emptied her thoughts. _Calm._ Calm was just what she needed to forget about the stressfulness of her body spontaneously changing shape without her consent or permission. _I am in control. I—_

More shuffling.

She let out a huff, dropped her hands to her thighs, and wrenched her eyes open to glare at him.

Garfield stared back at her with eyes narrowed in irritation. A long, tension filled moment passed between them. "Sorry," he finally said again, and she could tell he was forcing himself to even out his features to appear less annoyed. "Sorry. I just…I don't get this meditation thing. It's boring."

"Life isn't all about being entertained," she said tightly.

"And it's pointless for me to keep doing this when it obviously isn't working."

"It is _not_ pointless. Meditation helped me get my powers under control when I was young and still learning. It helped me keep them under control."

"Well, it's not working for me," he said tensely.

"Because you're not trying," she accused. "You spend more time wiggling around than doing any actual meditating."

"That's because meditation is useless!"

Her usual tight control finally unraveled at those words, and she was unable to keep herself from lashing out. "Meditation is not useless. You know what's useless? Turning into animals. At least my powers are actually beneficial. Yours are nothing more than a circus trick."

The instant the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She'd just been so infuriated at him for insulting one of the rare things she truly connected with, something she felt was a part of her, that she spoke before thinking, before processing. It was completely out of character for her, but wasn't everything that involved Garfield? He got under her skin like no one else had ever been able to.

Still, it did not excuse her comment. She could tell by the stung expression on his face that she'd gone too far. "Gar, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"No," he said, interrupting her. "I get it. I'm a joke." He shook his head in self-depreciation. Somewhere behind her, she heard a flower pot shatter and flinched, knowing he was losing control. "You're not the first person with that opinion. And you won't be the last."

"Beast Boy—"

"I'm not Beast Boy anymore. I no longer have such useless powers. I guess I should start calling myself Miserable Gothic Man, now that I'm more like you. Or Emotionally Stunted Guy. Those both seem fitting for someone with these powers," he spat, waving a hand disgustedly toward his chest.

She recoiled at his hateful description of not just himself, but of her as well. "I said I was sorry." Her words came out in a wounded whisper. Garfield was not cruel. He'd never been this cruel. What were her powers doing to him?

One look at his pale, tired face was answer enough. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. There were bags under his eyes and his ears were drooped so low they practically touched his shoulders. He looked miserable—because of her.

He snorted, ignoring her apology as if she hadn't even spoken it. "And seeing as my old powers are so easy to control, you can train by yourself this afternoon. My emotions are feeling a bit rampant for some reason. I think it best if I avoid being around others for a while. But you're a talented girl. I'm sure you can figure it out yourself. I mean, it's just a useless circus trick, after all."

"Gar!"

He didn't respond. He simply shook his head. Then he stormed by her and stalked through the door that would take him back into the Tower, slamming it shut behind him.

Raven watched him go, her heart sinking to her toes. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but there was no doubting that she had. Deeply. She'd messed up and wanted desperately to make it right, but she understood by his exit that he didn't wish to speak to her. He needed some space. As she once possessed the powers he now had, she understood that privacy was sometimes a necessity. For his safety and the safety of those around him. She needed to let him go or risk making things worse.

That didn't make letting him go any easier. The first sob escaped her before she realized she was crying. _She didn't cry!_ But she _was_ crying. Oh, she definitely was.

Another sob burst forth and she pressed a hand to her mouth, afraid he might somehow hear her and know how truly weak she was in this moment. As she stifled her sobs, she felt her form becoming less solid. Her toxic thoughts were making her newly acquired powers unstable, were forcing a change on her.

"No, no, no." Suddenly, without warning, she transformed into a duck. A useless purple duck. Like some silly children's tub toy.

Fear spiked in her as she realized she'd lost control. _Please no. Please no._

Her begging worked, because she returned to her own form. "Please no," she repeated, clawing desperately at the cement rooftop, cracking a few nails in the process. Nothing had terrified her in recent history more than this loss of control.

She'd spent every day of her life up until a month ago trying to harness control over her emotions, her powers. And now, she felt at odds with her own body, because it wanted the exact opposite. It was begging for her to let go, and she didn't know how. She was so lost she didn't even feel like herself anymore.

Garfield's powers revolved around spontaneity, about letting go and giving oneself over to the animals within. She was not one to let go and give in to anything. It had been drilled into her from childhood never to do such a thing. And now she was supposed to just let go of a lifetime of training and give in to a foreign invasion? Because that's what it felt like—an invasion. She couldn't give up control to it. She didn't know how.

But the more she fought his powers, the harder they became to regulate. They forced themselves on her at unforeseen times. They took control of her, making her a passenger in her own flesh. And worse of all was that fear of getting trapped. What if she found herself forever imprisoned in the body of a house fly?

The thought of that sent a wave of panic through her. She sucked in a harsh breath and realized she was on the verge of hyperventilation. _Breathe. Breathe._ She hurried to the edge of the rooftop. Gripping the small half-wall, she gazed over the side at the stretch of beach below.

Her body felt ready to explode. She envisioned throwing herself over the edge of this precipice and becoming a bird. She envisioned flying off into the salty air, free and untroubled. But then she envisioned the change not coming. She envisioned crashing to the ground, her body shattering and breaking. She pictured herself smashed into the pavement, bleeding…dying.

The mental image had her gasping desperately for air. She crumped to the ground and pressed her back to the wall, too petrified to even glance over at the open space below, let alone jump into it. She brought her knees up against her chest and hugged them in a death grip. _Breathe._ She sucked in another shallow gulp of air that did little to properly fill her lungs. An unhealthy wheeze escaped her on her exhale and she wondered if she was going to pass out. At least it was one thing she could give herself over to—unconsciousness.

"Raven!"

She blinked, looking up into a familiar face. Cyborg. She hadn't even heard him enter the rooftop. How long had she been up here in the grips of panic? How much time had passed with her gasping for air and losing control?

"Raven, breathe," he instructed. He knelt down in front of her, placing a hand gently on each of her knees. "Raven, _breathe_." He took in a deep breath of his own, motioning for her to do the same. "Do as I do. Breathe."

His tone was so commanding that she found herself focusing on him, mirroring her breaths to his.

"Breathe, Rae. Center yourself."

She nodded, breathing in tandem with him, sucking in deep, measured breaths. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

It was only when her breathing had returned to normal that he lowered himself to sit across from her, targeting her with his worried, older brother stare. "What's going on, Raven?"

Now that she was calm, embarrassment rushed to the forefront. Not many people had ever seen her break down before. She didn't like adding to the list. "Nothing's going on."

" _Raven._ " His voice was deep and full of warning. She found herself unable to ignore the demand of it.

"Fine," she said grudgingly. "I'm just a little freaked out about using Beast Boy's powers."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What else?"

"Nothing."

" _Raven._ "

There it was. That warning again. She rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. "And Gar and I had an argument. I said…some things I shouldn't have. Things I didn't mean."

"Ah." There was knowledge and understanding in that one word, and somehow, it made her feel better.

"It was a stupid fight," she said, closing her eyes. "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

"It was a big enough deal for you to have what was obviously a panic attack over it."

She groaned, hating that he'd seen her in such a state of weakness. "It's been a stressful month. I just got a little overwhelmed. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

She opened her eyes and sent him a little glare. She knew he was only looking out for her, but she didn't need a mother hen hovering over her. Not right now. Not ever. "I said I'm fine."

He held his hands up, letting her know he wasn't going to press any further. "All right. All right. You're fine." He paused and sent her a pointed look. "But if at any time you decide you're not fine, you know you can talk to me, right?"

She remained silent for a very long time. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah. I know."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. Pushing to his feet, he paused to pat her raised knees. "I'm here for you, Rae. Never forget that."

She nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. Hell, the last thing she needed was to cry. Again. Forcing down the lump in her throat, she answered in as normal a voice as she could manage. "Yeah. I know." She shrugged. "I can handle this, though. I'm just going to give him some time to cool off…"

Cyborg offered her a small smile. "It'll work out. My boy's too crazy about you for it not to."

She smiled weakly in return, wishing he was right, but the old phrase about how sometimes love wasn't enough danced in her head. "Thanks." She forced herself to her feet as well, forced herself to appear normal, functional, and dusted off her legs. "For…everything."

"Anytime." He opened the door to the Tower and motioned for her to enter ahead of him. Once inside, he let the conversation go and headed in the direction of the garage. "If you decide you want to talk, I'll be in the garage working on the T-Car."

She nodded. "Thanks, but I think I'm going to just head back to bed for a little while. It's not like I'm dependent upon meditation anymore," she said with a shrug. Returning his wave of farewell, she started in the direction of Gar's room and froze. Though she'd been sleeping there for a few months now, she didn't think he would be very welcoming of her presence right at the moment.

That somber thought stunned her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept in her own bed and didn't relish the thought. All of the calm Cyborg had instilled in her evaporated at the grim thought of being alone. She'd been alone for the majority of her life and it was not something she wanted to return to, that emptiness, that loneliness.

For so many years, she'd wanted nothing more than peace and solitude. But now, she'd grown used to having Garfield around. She'd grown used to his goofy smiles, his lame jokes. His warmth.

Shivering at just the thought of crawling into her bed alone, she trudged toward her room. Once inside, she crossed the room, sank down to the edge of the bed, and ran her hands through her hair with a little sigh. She again wondered how things had gotten so bad so quickly. A few months ago, they'd been blissfully happy. Now, they were barely holding on.

She knew there was the proverbial "honeymoon stage" of every relationship, but this disconnect felt different. It felt more alarming than a natural cool-down. Control Freak had gone and dumped their budding relationship on its head, and she feared there was a chance they wouldn't be able to fix it.

Tears sprang to her eyes again. In an attempt to deny their existence, she curled up in her bed and closed her eyes. She forced herself to focus on falling back to sleep, on pretending her fight with Gar never happened.

But the more she tried to push it from her mind, the more it consumed her thoughts. She was terrified she'd done permanent damage to their relationship. She'd called his powers useless. Garfield was usually easy to forgive, but that one might be difficult to let go. She'd known he struggled with his confidence after Mento, and she'd taken a shot at it anyway.

Why had she done that? Why?

She wasn't the type of girl who defined herself by her relationship—she never would be. But she loved him. And she didn't want this to come between them. It was exactly what villains aimed to do—break up teams. Would she and Gar succumb to something so cliché? And what would it mean for the rest of the team if they did? Had she just driven a wedge in the Titans with one careless comment?

She was haunted by these thoughts. They swam around and around in her head, plaguing her. It felt like hours passed before she finally drifted off to sleep. And even then, her dreams were troubled.

OOOO

Raven awoke to the sound of knocking at her door. A quick glance at her bedside clock showed that she'd slept through lunch. She gaped at it in shock for a long moment. She never slept like this. She wondered if it was the power shift she'd experienced, as different powers affected the body in different ways, or if it was the build up of stress over the last month. Either way, it was well into the afternoon.

Sitting up in bed, she ran her fingers through her messy hair and straightened her clothing. She then climbed to her feet and attempted to present herself as put-together. Just because she'd succumbed to exhaustion didn't mean she wanted everyone to know about it. "C-come in." She grimaced at the stammer in her voice, but there was no correcting it now.

The door slid open and Garfield entered, his face drawn in a line of obvious determination. He stopped just inside the doorway and set her with a hard look. "We need to talk."

Those four words had her heart freezing in her chest. No good conversation started with those words. Ever. Those were the type of words one used right before they broke up with someone. "Okay," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Unable to help herself, she crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "So talk."

He stared at her for a long moment, his nostrils flaring at the sight of her obviously hostile body language. Then he closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. When his lashes fluttered open again, his eyes were softer, gentler. "Raven…"

He trailed off. Then with a shake of his head, he crossed the room to her and took her hands in his, lightly shaking her arms and forcing her to uncross them. "Do you remember on New Year's Eve after we shared that smoking hot kiss, I made a promise to you."

Her brows furrowed in confusion as her mind attempts to pull up the exact details of the night. She remembered the kiss. How could she forget? Their first kiss had been explosive. The kiss she definitely remembered. The promise he'd made…

Before she could retrieve it from memory, he spoke. "I vowed to you that night that I was willing to do whatever it took to make this work." He tugged on her hands, drawing her closer. "I meant that." His ever-expressive eyes sought hers. "This is me doing that, Rae." He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I'm not going to let Control Freak tear us apart. No matter hard how it gets."

She shuddered in his embrace, her arms automatically circling around his waist. She clung tightly to him, never wanting to let go. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his uniform and she held on as if afraid he might slip through her fingers. The relief she felt at his words was overwhelming. He wasn't here to break things off with her. He was here to remind her of one of the many reasons why she'd chosen him to begin with.

"I'm sorry I walked out on you. I promise never to do that again."

"I deserved it," she whispered into his shoulder. "I never should have said… I didn't mean…" She fumbled for a proper way to apologize. But how could she? What she'd said…how did one make that right? She'd called his contributions to the team useless.

"I know you didn't mean it," he whispered into her hair.

"I _didn't_ ," she said firmly. "I'm just so…scared."

He jerked in surprise and pulled back to look at her. "Scared?" The word seemed to genuinely confuse him. To him, this power switch appeared to be annoying, sure. Agitating, yes. But never frightening. He might be all over the place with her powers, they might sap him of energy, but fear had never been his reaction to them.

To her, this power switch had become terrifying. His ability to go with the flow had helped him adapt over the last month, at least as far as fear was concerned. Sure, he still had a _long_ way to go in mastering her powers, but he wasn't frightened of them. Raven, on the other hand, with her rigid ways…she was not adapting well at all.

"I'm terrified," she admitted, her whole body trembling. She lifted her face from his shoulder so he could see the truth in her eyes. "I'm not good at being spontaneous. You know that. And that's what your powers require. Your powers aren't stupid. I'm just too stupid to use them," she admitted helplessly. "And I was embarrassed to admit that."

She felt her cheeks heat with a flush as her confession hovered in the air between them, practically tangible. And still there was more weighing on her… She'd already confessed to most of her issues. She might as well get it all out in the open.

That decided, she added in her final fear. "Worst of all, I'm terrified I'll get stuck in animal form, never able to transfer back. I'm so afraid of that happening that I fight it with everything in me. I don't like giving myself over to anything, and allowing something to take over my entire form? That's major. Too major. I just…I can't."

His eyes had widened at her confessions, growing larger and larger the more she spoke. Once she was finally done, he shook his head and cupped her face in his hands. "First off, you are the most intelligent woman I've ever met. You're so smart it's intimidating, so you can just stop with that 'too stupid' to figure out my powers nonsense." His expression softened. "And, Raven, don't you know…you can't get stuck."

"How could you possibly know that?" she whispered, feeling fear swell in her chest at just the thought. "Just because you were good enough never to get stuck—"

"Babe, there's a failsafe," he said with a smirk.

She blinked at him, not understanding. "There is?"

He nodded. "How did you never notice?" His lips quirked with amusement. "If I get startled badly enough, I revert to human form. If I get knocked out, I revert to human form." He lifted his eyebrows at her. "Did you think it was a personal choice changing from being a Pachycephalosaurs with protective bones in its head to a diminutive human after being tossed into the side of a concrete wall and sliding to the sidewalk?"

"Your body reverts?" she asked in amazement. He was right. How had she never noticed that before? It was knowledge that lingered in the back of her brain, but she'd never really paid much attention to it.

"I revert." He shook her arms lightly, playfully. "So there's nothing for you to be afraid of. You aren't going to get permanently stuck. If you ever start to worry you can't change back, just give me a sign. I'll give you a few good conks on the head and you'll be back to you. You'll have a blazing headache, but you'll be you."

Relief washed through her and she sagged against him. "That's something I wish I'd realized a month ago." She nuzzled into his chest, relishing the comforting and familiar feel of him. "It's been hell." And truly it had been. The most embarrassing part was that an easy reassurance had been at her fingertips all along. If only she'd properly communicated with him… She let out a sigh, feeling tension ease out of her with each slow breath. "I really am sorry, Gar. I promise I'll try harder at this."

"And I'll try harder too. If you say meditation—"

"No. Just because meditation worked for me doesn't necessarily mean it's right for you. You were right about that. Maybe we should try something a little different…like a yoga/meditation blend. It's a little more movement, a little less quiet. That might be better for someone high energy, such as yourself. It was selfish of me to expect you to automatically connect with what worked for me. That wasn't fair to you."

He squeezed her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "To be fair, I wasn't trying very hard either. I'm so used to my powers coming naturally that having to work at things has been an irritation to me. But that isn't your fault. I should have been giving my best effort, and I wasn't." Pulling back slightly, he gazed down into her eyes. "We'll try the yoga thing tomorrow morning. Then in the afternoon we'll work on your transformations. Now that you don't have so much to fear associated with shifting, I bet things come easier for you."

He suddenly smirked, his expression becoming devilish. "But for now…I just want to kiss you." He softened his arms around her, his grip becoming more romantic and less about comforting mutual fear. It was the embrace of a lover, and she willingly relaxed into it.

While she grew comfortable in his arms, he lowered his lips to hers, treating her to a gentle, lingering kiss that melted her insides like warm cocoa.

With a soft whimper of approval, Raven opened her mouth to him, deepening the kiss.

Garfield tugged her closer, his hands running seductively down her spine to rest against her lower back. He pressed his body to hers, his warmth sinking into her, heating her, his hard muscles sending a tremor of longing through her. "I feel like it's been forever since I've good and kissed you," he said with a groan.

"It's been about a month," she admitted. "I've missed it."

"I missed it to." He ran his hands gently down her face, brushing her long purple hair back. "Let's never allow a villain to have an impact on our relationship again." He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against hers.

She sighed, the rest of her tension evaporating. "Agreed." She closed her eyes, soaking in the sensation of his mere presence, of the obvious love radiating from him. "Thank you for coming to me, for being the bigger person."

If there was any question in her mind that he hadn't matured over the years, that he was no longer a boy but a man, this would have cemented it. He'd swallowed his pride and come to her. He'd made himself vulnerable in an attempt to repair their relationship, and she wouldn't forget that.

"I'll always come for you, Rae."

"Garfield, those might be the most romantic words ever spoken." She lifted her face so she could gaze up at him. She took in his bashful expression, his messy green hair, his gentle eyes. And she loved every detail she saw.

"Surely not. They came from me, and we both know I'm hopeless when it comes to that sort of stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "A hopeless romantic, you mean." She smirked teasingly. "I'm still not sure why I thought hooking up with a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve was a good idea."

"Please, you wouldn't have it any other way."

"You're right." She lifted up onto her tiptoes to brush her lips against his. "I wouldn't."

OOOOO

It was early the next morning, the sun having barely risen, but Raven and Beast Boy were already well into their yoga practice. And it was going well. She'd walked him through an hour practice, talking him through different poses, showing him the basics…and a few things that weren't so basic. Now, they were finishing their practice up with a free flow session, each repeating poses that had felt good for them this morning.

Raven wasn't sure if it was the fact that they'd strengthened their bond the day before or if yoga was just that much better for him than meditation, but things were so much improved it was hard to imagine yesterday had actually happened. Things felt close to how they'd been before Control Freak switched their powers.

She watched from downward facing dog as he returned to a very complicated upward facing two-foot staff pose. She smirked from her position, watching him arch and bend his back. After half a minute of controlled breathing in the pose, he pushed back up on his arms into a backbend. Then with agility, he flipped his heels up over his head to land on his feet.

Yeah, he was definitely taking to yoga.

"That was awesome," he said, moseying in her direction. "I can deal with meditation when it's mixed in with other stuff. And some of those yoga poses are no joke. I take back every sarcastic comment I've ever made about it."

From her bent angle, she saw his lips curve playfully as he approached her from behind. "It's the kind of workout that makes a guy horny. And you're looking really good right now." He placed his hands on her hips and playfully thrust his groin into her backside.

Raven's eyes widened and she had to dig her fingers into her mat to keep from toppling over in surprise. They hadn't had sex in a month. The emotional onslaught of such intimacy was not something he'd been prepared to handle. He sure seemed ready right now.

She wasn't going to just swoon like some girl and give him what he wanted right away though. That wasn't her style. Kicking her feet up, she bounced them off his chest and did a handspring of her own to land on her feet. "Well then come and get me."

The sexy grin that spread across his face at her challenge had her knees trembling, but she pretended to be unaffected as she lifted her chin stubbornly.

"Oh, I do love the chase," he said, voice low and gravelly. He started forward, stalking toward her with determination.

When he reached for her arm, Raven twisted, spinning away. She bounced on her feet, turning to face him. "And I love the fight." She balled her hands into fists, squaring off against him. They hadn't sparred like this in what felt like forever and it was just one more thing she'd missed. The yoga mats spread on the rooftop would break the majority of their falls and it would be a good workout.

"How do you intend to resist me without your powers?" he asked in amusement. With a lightning quick move, he snagged her wrist and whipped her toward him. He spun her, placing her back against his chest, holding her captive there.

Raven kicked her feet up off the ground. When her momentum brought her back down, she kept her legs tucked up against her chest, forcing him to support the bulk of her weight. She might have been small, but he wasn't expecting the move.

He stumbled forward, losing his balance. His grasp on her broke and she tumbled to the mats on her hands and knees. When he recovered and reached for her, she rolled onto her back and then kicked his legs out from under him.

He hit the ground and before he could recover, she thrust him to his back and dove on him, her knees pinning his arms to the ground.

"I'll just have to overpower you the old-fashioned way." She smirked down at him, applying a little more pressure with her knees.

He chuckled, amused. "You seem to forget that I'm not shorter than you anymore, Rae Rae. I'm bigger. Stronger." He managed to bring his legs up and around her waist. With one hard tug, he knocked her to her back. Rolling through, he straddled her abdomen, pinning her to the ground instead. "You can't win."

"Said every chauvinist ever," she grumbled. She'd never been much of a fighter, but Robin had been working with her over the years. He'd been preparing her in case she ever found herself in a position where her powers weren't available to her. And she'd been learning.

Reaching up quickly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, getting him in a half nelson hold. The headlock pulled him off balance, lessening the pressure he put on her waist to hold her down, and Raven was able to roll. She came to rest awkwardly between his legs, but for the moment, she had the advantage.

That was until he brought an arm up. With a vicious chop to her forearm, he broke her hold on his neck. As her arms came free, he grasped her wrists tightly in one hand. Then he used his weight to roll once again.

She was pinned beneath him, breathing hard, hands restrained above her.

Before she could fight back, he said, "Let's just call it a tie." Then his mouth claimed hers in a bruising kiss. He pressed the erection that had been growing with each grapple into her, rocking their hips together.

Raven moaned into his mouth, arching her body up into his. It was glorious to feel his mouth on hers again, his body hard and demanding against her own. It had been too long, and her need for him was overwhelming.

He growled possessively, his hand tightening around her wrists. His free hand buried in her hair, tugging lightly at her locks before running down the side of her face.

She whimpered, squirming against him, feeling desperate for more. She'd missed this so very much. The way he could ignite a fire in her almost instantaneously. "Gar…" She tugged lightly at her hands, and he released her. The instant she was free, she curved her arms around his neck, keeping him close as she deepened their kiss.

His tongue delved into her mouth, sliding against hers in an erotic, slow tango. His hips ground against hers again, needful and full of unfulfilled longing. Too quickly for her liking, he drew his mouth away from hers, but the words he spoke against her lips were worth the sacrifice.

"What do you say we take this back to my room?"

She blinked up at him in surprise, her heart pattering in her chest and her body thrumming with need. "Are you sure you can handle it?" she asked, unable to keep her concerns at bay.

"Trust me, I can handle it," he responded, his voice thick with arousal. "I've found my focal point of concentration and peace." He smirked and brushed his lips against hers. "It's you." He kissed her again, his lips lingering longer this time. "As long as I'm with you and we're a team, nothing can rattle me."

Her heart swelled at his admission, cementing for her that things were going to be all right. She had him in her corner and there was nothing better than that. "Well then what are you waiting for?" she asked coyly. "Let's get to your room."

OOOOO

An hour later, Raven lay draped across Garfield's chest, her body stated and content. Forget meditation. There was nothing more relaxing than a love-making session with him. It was hands-down the best way to relieve some stress. She gave a satisfied sigh and hugged him tighter.

His fingers had been grazing through her hair, but they stopped at her exhale. "Hey, Rae?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm?" Her eyes were closed and she was too relaxed to open them.

"What do you think about trying to transform into an animal now?"

And there went her relaxation. Her eyes popped open and she lifted her head to gaze down at him. "Now?" she asked incredulously. While she was naked and in a post-coital haze? Was he insane?

"Yeah, now." He shrugged with a guilty little grin. "I wouldn't be wrong in saying you're pretty relaxed right now, right? What better time to try something you're nervous about than when you're feeling all languid and lazy?"

Damn it, he was right. She was always struggling with his abilities because she was tense and worked up. Now that her muscles were relaxed and her mind was calm, it was the best time to attempt a transformation.

"And I promise you won't get stuck in animal form. Just turn into something small, like a kitten or something, and if you get stuck, I'll throw you at the wall."

Her eyebrows rose at this. "Whoa. And here I thought you were all against animal cruelty. Then you go offering to throw kittens at walls."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "That's worst-case scenario. I feel fairly confident I won't have to throw any kittens. Otherwise I wouldn't have offered." He shrugged. "Besides, if I throw you at the wall, when you hit, you'll become Raven again. I'll be throwing Raven into a wall, not a kitten."

She rolled her eyes at this attempt at logic before asking, "But if I know it's coming, doesn't that defeat the purpose of being startled?"

He snorted. "Trust me, I've been thrown into walls numerous times. It doesn't matter if you know it's coming. It's startling all the same."

She narrowed her eyes at him, looking for any sign that he might not be telling the truth. Not finding any reason to distrust him, she sighed. "Fine. I'll try turning into something. But does it have to be a kitten? Kittens are so…girly."

"Hey, my cat form is one of my favorites! There's nothing girly about it! But whatever. You can turn into whatever you want. Kitten, snake, meerkat." He grinned, waggling his eyebrows. "I just envisioned you as a cute little kitten curled up on my chest, purring. There's something kind of sexy about that."

She sat up, shaking out her hands to ward away the nerves rising in her. "You're weird," she accused.

"We've already established that, yes. Don't pretend like it's a surprise now, six months into our relationship."

She laughed lightly, a smirk coming to her lips. "I suppose you're right. Too late to worry about your weirdness now." Immediately following her sentence, she let out a long exhale. "Okay, turn into a kitten. I can do that, right? I've become a cat before, albeit unintentionally. I can do this."

"You can," he said encouragingly. He sat up in the bed and the blanket pooled into his lap.

She took a moment to longingly peruse his abdomen with her gaze. She would much rather lick a path up his abs and repeat the activity they'd just partaken in, but she knew that would just be stalling, no matter how fun it might be. "All right. I'm going to do it."

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, picturing a small, harmless kitten. As she focused on the form, she reminded herself that a kitten wasn't such a big deal. And she couldn't get stuck. There was nothing to worry about.

Once she had a clear vision in her mind of what she wanted, she silently commanded herself to become what her mind saw. She heard a little 'pop' that was followed by a moment of weightlessness. An instant later, her feet hit the comforter—all four of her feet.

She opened her eyes and glanced down at herself. Paws. Fur. Whiskers. She was indeed a cat. She stretched out a front paw, testing out the form. She'd never transformed into an animal without the accompanying sensation of panic, so this was a different experience. She could take the time to observe her new body, her new vantage point of her surroundings.

It wasn't all bad, she supposed. Being a cat was rather comfortable. She didn't feel as if she was about to have a panic attack, so there was that. It was better than any other time she'd been in animal form, so at the moment, she wasn't going to complain.

Garfield reached a hand out and stroked it along her back. "You okay?" he asked.

The sensation of his hand stroking along her fur, down her tail, was unbelievably pleasurable. She found herself arching against his hand instinctively. Not wanting to get too distracted, she nodded in response to his question.

"Good. Do you think you can become Raven again? This one should be easier, as it's your natural form. Your body is accustomed to it and feels most natural reverting to that."

She bobbed her head again, wondering how it must look to see a purple cat nodding in understanding. Closing her eyes once more, she concentrated on what her reflection appeared like in the mirror. She envisioned her purple hair, her pale skin.

He was right about her body reverting naturally to its original form, because the 'pop' came almost before she was expecting it. She opened her eyes in excitement, a small grin touching her lips. "I did it."

"I knew you could." He reached a hand out to stroke her bare shoulder. "There's nothing we can't accomplish when we're working as a team."

"Cheesy," she accused.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "But it's true."

"It is." She leaned forward in a rare spontaneous movement and kissed him. Sure, they kissed all the time, but it was usually Garfield who initiated intimacy. She was too awkward, too shy. Most of the time.

Now, though, she pressed her lips firmly to his and lifted a hand to cup his cheek. She scooted closer on the bed, her other hand coming to rest on his pectoral muscle. She splayed her fingers out, feeling his heart beating beneath her hand. It was a comforting sensation.

His hand went to her hip and he tugged her closer. "You know what? I've changed my mind. Forget having a purring kitten draped across my chest. I want a naked Raven draped over me. Are you down with that?"

She smirked and moved in closer, crawling on top of him as he laid back down against the pillows. "I'm completely down with that." She stretched out on top of him, enjoying the rare moment of peaceful alone time with him, enjoying the sight of his happy smile. "I could do this all day."

"And I have every intention to." With that, he put a hand to the back of her neck and drew her in for a kiss.


	10. Chapter 10: Fireworks and Rituals

_Sanzojoe: Definitely a low point for our couple. But a person never really knows the strength of their relationship until it's tested. Now, they know. And that makes going forward that much better._

 _AwesomeRockStar101: Your feedback was everything! Seriously!_

 _Aqua Rules: I love having Gar be the one to take initiative in things. He jokes, so sometimes people miss the guy underneath. I think they show that serious, take charge side of him more in the comics, and I try to bring that out at times. Underneath all the jokes, he's a sensitive guy! And when situations call for it, he isn't afraid to take the lead._

 **Fireworks and Rituals**

Garfield sensed an attack coming. He prepared for it, but he had no idea which side it would be coming from or what exactly it would look like. He just knew he was about to get hit.

He wasn't wrong.

A kick suddenly came crashing into his abdomen with enough force to bruise. It buckled him over, but he kept his feet only because he'd been ready for it.

Hands wrapped around his wrist and attempted to wrench his arm behind his back, but he acted quickly and spun out of the lock. His foot came up into his attacker's stomach, pushing her back, and he gave Raven a wicked grin. He waggled his eyebrows at her, before blowing her a kiss. "You'll have to try harder than that."

Her eyes narrowed and she lunged in.

His arms were about to wrap around her waist in an attempt to restrain her when suddenly she transformed into a purple rat and ducked underneath them. She scurried up his pant leg, up his waist, his chest.

He gave a cry of alarm and swatted at her. Even knowing it was Raven, the sensation of rat feet scurrying up his neck sent a shiver of repulsion through him. Not that he got a chance to do anything about it. She suddenly transformed back into herself, her legs wrapped around his neck.

She then threw herself backward, giving him a hurricanrana. Apparently, she'd been paying more attention to the wrestling programs he occasionally watched than she let on, because the moved belonged straight out of a wrestling ring.

He hit the ground hard, the wind momentarily knocked out of him. As he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, the form of a panther suddenly invaded his view. The animal sprang at him, intending to land violently on his chest with viciously extended claws.

He shot a hand up into the air and a black force field suddenly surrounded him.

The panther bounced off, landing awkwardly on the floor. It climbed to its feet and circled him with an agitated huff, watching for an opening.

Garfield dropped the shield and stared at Raven, his lips twisted in a crooked smirk. "Here, kitty kitty. Come and get me."

The predator opened her mouth and gave a roar. Then she charged him.

Garfield levitated a few objects in front of her, halting her progress, but she maneuvered around them. He threw a nearby bench in her path and she leapt up onto it, catapulting across while it flew through the air.

He backtracked, his heart pounding ferociously in his chest. Shit. Is that what he looked like coming at villains? It was more than a little scary to see a full-grown panther charging at him, even if he knew it was girlfriend in animal form. He suddenly had a new sympathy for the villains he used to face.

He released the bench and it crashed to the ground. After it hit, he was barely able to throw his hands up and open a portal.

Raven had too much momentum and was unable to stop. She entered the portal and went sailing out the other side, across the room. She hit the ground at the feet of their fearless leader, but she didn't stay down. Her body had barely collided with the floor before she was up, shifting into the shape of a velociraptor.

Robin instinctively recoiled with a little yelp at the sight of the carnivorous dinosaur, but he quickly covered up his reaction. Clapping his hands, he said, "Okay. That's good. I've seen enough."

Raven transformed back into her human form and stood for a moment breathing heavily, her shoulders rising and falling with her deep breaths.

Garfield lowered his hands and rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension of battle ease out of him. They'd been going at this a good twenty minutes, so a break was much appreciated.

He crossed the room to his teammates' sides, watching Robin's facial expressions for hints at his opinion. Their team leader had asked them to come to the training room to show off their progress in learning each other's abilities. It was obvious he was wondering when he could return them to active duty, and Gar was curious as to how they'd measured up to his expectations.

He wouldn't lie—he missed being out on the streets, helping civilians. He was itching to get back to that, and he knew Raven was as well. All they had to do was convince the man in front of them that they were ready.

"So?" he asked, trying to keep the nervousness in his voice from betraying how much this outcome meant to him. "Did we pass the test?"

Robin didn't keep them waiting in suspense. He immediately nodded his head. "You passed." He shook his head in amazement. "I know you two said you were ready to return to duty, but I wasn't expecting this. It's hard to believe you've only been using each other's powers for a few months. With your quick reaction times, I would think you'd been using them your entire lives."

"So we're good to get back to work then?" Raven asked in her monotone.

Despite her seeming indifference, Garfield knew she was just as eager as he was to return to being a fully active member of the team. Sure, they'd had a few super-hot make out sessions while the rest of the gang was out fighting crime, and he'd never look at the couch the same way ever again, but they were super heroes without crime to fight. It was making them both antsy.

"You're good to go back to work," Robin said with a little nod.

Those were the best words Garfield had heard all week. He waggled his eyebrows at Raven, who grinned back at him.

She quickly recovered, stamping down her excitement, and turned to Robin with a serious expression of her face. "We won't let you down. We take this job very seriously."

"I know you do," Robin said with a little smile. "That's why I can't wait to have the two of you back in the field." He patted Raven on the shoulder and then clapped Garfield on the back. "Now hit the showers. Take the rest of the day to unwind, because tomorrow you're back on _my_ schedule. I'm done taking it easy on you." With a playful wink, he sauntered off.

Garfield turned to Raven, brow raised. "These past few months have been him taking it easy on us? Damn."

Raven laughed lightly and shook her head. "You consider anything that involves getting up before noon and putting on pants difficult, so we can't exactly let you be the judge."

"Fair enough." He shrugged his shoulders guiltily as they headed in the direction of the showers. As they reached the door to the women's shower and Raven put a hand on the door, an idea suddenly took hold of him. He reached out to grab hold of her arm and edged her away from the door.

When she looked up at him in confusion, he shook his head. Then he inclined it toward the men's shower instead. "Why don't you come in here with me?"

Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief and her purple eyes widened. "You aren't serious, are you?"

"Why not?" He sent her what he hoped was a look of innocence. "It's just a shower." It was not just a shower, not where she was concerned. The thought of getting Raven alone and naked under the steaming spray had his dick twitching with excitement. They'd never showered together before and now that the idea was in his head, it was all he could think about.

"Why not?" she asked, her tone full of incredulity. "How about the fact that we could get caught. By our teammates. Who we have to face every day."

He slipped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer. "Do you think they'd be at all surprised to find out we're having sex?" he asked in amusement. He leaned in to nip at her ear.

She made a soft sound of arousal and relaxed into his arms, letting him know he was wearing her down. Even so, she gave a feeble protest. "It doesn't mean we have to flaunt it in their faces…"

"Who's flaunting?" His fingers tugged lightly at the zipper of her uniform and he eased it slowly open. His fingertips grazed the exposed flesh as he went. "If someone happens to come in, I can just teleport us back to my room without any of them being the wiser."

He felt her shiver at the feather light graze of his fingertips along her back. "I know you want to," he whispered in her ear. "Come on, I'll give you a back rub after wiping the floor with you so hard."

She pulled back with a little glare. "Oh, I don't think so. If anyone wiped the floor with someone it was—"

Laughing, he kicked open the door to the men's shower and tugged her in behind him. "You can continue reprimanding me while you get naked."

She threw her hands up in the air but followed him. "Honestly, I don't know why I let you drag me into all of your schemes."

Knowing he'd won her over, he turned to face her with a beaming grin. Walking backward toward the simple shower stall, he pulled down the zipper of his uniform, exposing his chest. He was quick to tug it down his arms, freeing them. "Because I look so good naked."

Raven subconsciously licked her lips, her gaze glued to his uncovered chest. "I can't argue with that logic."

He grinned, knowing his expression was full of satisfaction. It thrilled him to know she found his body so attractive. He'd always thought Raven was completely out of his league. She was hot. Like H-O-T hot. All caps hot. And he'd always thought she would forever find him annoying.

So he'd flirted—how could he not?—but he'd never thought his attraction would ever be reciprocated. Seeing the look of desire in her eyes was a bigger confidence boost than anything he'd ever experienced. Now that he knew she was into him, it instilled him with a sureness he'd never felt before.

It had him winking playfully as he let his uniform fall loosely at his waist, showing off his abs. "You know you like the view."

Her gaze lifted from his exposed body to his eyes. Her lips pursed in amusement and she quirked a brow. Lifting a hand, she unclasped her cloak and let it drift to the floor. "Somehow I don't think I'm the only one." She bent at the waist and began slowly slipping out of her boots.

Raven had always been sexy as hell. On a subconscious level. But now that she was trying to turn him on…

Gar Logan wasn't sure he could survive much more of her little show. As it was, one of Robin's glass bottles of aftershave exploded into shards and rained down on the floor somewhere behind him. The sight of Raven bent over, showing off her curvy ass like that was just too much for him to handle.

She grinned at him over her shoulder. "Problem, Gar?"

He closed his eyes for a moment and forced himself to reign in his slip of power. Damn. The fact that she was toying with him made it ever hotter. He quickly set his expression into one of calm neutrality. "No problem at all."

Once he had himself under control, he shot her his sexiest grin. "That bottle exploded itself." Moving slow and seductively, he tugged his uniform down over his hips, down his legs. And that was when the sexy show ended. The tight fabric got stuck around his ankles.

Frowning, he found himself hopping up and down in an attempt to free himself from boots and uniform. "Shit." He reached out to brace himself against the sink. "Damn it."

Raven laughed and straightened. Walking over to him, she cupped his face in her hands and gave him a chaste kiss. "This is why I chose you. You're not just good-looking. You make me laugh." She leaned in to kiss him again. "I never thought that would be possible. I never thought I'd find someone like you."

The game dropped, Gar pulled her in against him and kissed her gently. "You're not the only one. I'd figured I would be a bachelor for the rest of my life."

She pulled back in surprise, her expression one of curiosity. "Why's that?"

"Because of Steve," he said with a little shrug.

"What does your step-father have to do with you finding someone to spend your life with?"

"And that's why you are the girl for me." He leaned in to kiss her nose, reminding himself again how lucky he was that she'd given him a chance. He shot her a patient look. "What do you know about Steve, Rae?"

She blinked at him. "Well … I know that he's your step-father. He was a member of the Doom Patrol. Mild psychic abilities…"

"And the fact that he's completely loaded never crossed your mind?"

She frowned at him in confusion. "No. Why would it?" Then what he was hinting at caught up to her and her eyes widened. " _Oh_."

He nodded. "Yeah. _Oh._ I get a lot of girls who give me attention because of the money. It isn't me they're interested in. It's what I can buy them." He tapped her lightly on the nose with his index finger. "But you've never once asked me to spot you money. Or passed a check my way. Or expected me to pick up lunch because I can."

"The thought never even crossed my mind," she said with disapproval. He could see Raven's disappointment with the rest of her sex in her expression. No, using him for money had truly never crossed her mind and it bothered her that for others it had. She might sometimes feel as if she'd missed out on things by growing up on Azarath, but this was one of those instances where she'd benefited from it. She was kinder than most people, more kind that she gave herself credit for.

He smirked. "And that's why I know I can trust you." His fingers toyed with the zipper on the back of her uniform before he tugged on it, exposing her back even more. His fingertips brushed along her bare flesh. "It's a turn-on knowing you're here for me and not the money."

"Of course I'm here for you." Her serious words were followed by a smirk and a playful roll of her eyes. "Which I never would have guessed a year ago I would find myself saying. You can be a lot to handle."

Her tone was teasing, and he took no offense to the words (especially since she waggled her eyebrows in mock seduction and slipped her arms free of her uniform, sliding it down to her waist). It was no secret that he'd tormented her at times. He'd gone out of his way to irritate her, trying to find out what made her tick.

"How else was I going to get your attention?" he said with a chuckle. "It's not like all the usual stuff works with you." He pushed her uniform and panties over her hips, his hands caressing and exploring as he removed her clothing. "I had to get you really drunk before you even got dirty with me on the dance floor."

Raven covered her eyes with a hand, her cheeks flushing. "That was so embarrassing."

He took her hand and lowered it away from her face. "It was hot. You definitely opened my eyes that night. Made me realize there were things I wanted in my life that I never realized were missing."

She shook her head in amusement. "Who would have thought us getting really drunk together would have resulted in this?"

A smirk curving his lips, he flicked open the hooks on her bra. "I just had to get you to lower your inhibitions that one time. Once you had a taste of me, I knew you'd keep coming back."

Raven laughed. "Is that so?" Her palms pressed to his chest and she slid her hands along the muscle there. "I suppose I can't deny it. There's something irresistible about your positivity." Her hands traveled lower, trailing down his stomach. They continued downward until she brushed them against the front of his briefs. "But are you going to keep telling me how perfect we are for each other or are you going to get naked and get in the shower with me?"

He jumped to attention at this. "Shower please." He didn't need to think on it. Nor did he need asked twice. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he spun her in the direction of the shower and tapped her backside, urging her forward.

Then he shucked his briefs. Naked, he followed her into the shower, where she was already setting the water temperature. While she fiddled with the dials, setting them to steaming hot, he snatched up a bottle of shampoo.

Pouring some of the flower-scented liquid into his palm, he placed the bottle to the side before lathering the shampoo between his hands. He had it ready just as Raven straightened from the spigot. Wrapping an arm around her waist—careful not to wash off the shampoo—he pulled her back against his chest. Then he buried his hands in her hair.

He stroked his fingertips along her scalp, massaging as he went. "I love your hair," he whispered with his lips near her ear as he washed her locks of the day's activities. "The color has always intrigued me."

With a little moan of pleasure, she rested her head back against his shoulder, allowing him to knead his fingers over her scalp. "I feel the same way about your skin," she said absentmindedly. "It's eye catching."

This link seemed to catch her attention. Spinning in his arms, she gazed up at him. "Neither one of us are…normal. I like that. I don't feel like I have to hide who I am with you."

"I would never want you hide who you are."

"That's why I like you so much," she said with a wink, before tipping her hair back under the spray of water the rinse out the shampoo.

This action thrust her bare breasts out toward him, and Garfield watched the water trickle down, traveling the valley between them. His dick twitched with excitement. "Normal is boring," he murmured, thoroughly distracted. It was still hard to believe she was his. After all those years of bickering and arguing… He supposed that old saying of there being a thin line between love and hate fit well here.

Never taking his eyes off of her, he snatched up the shower gel and squirted it into his open hand. He placed the bottle aside and rubbed his hands together eagerly until he had an impressive amount of bubbles in them. An instant later, he was palming her breasts, massaging in the slick soap.

She jumped in surprise, then gave a soft moan. "You just can't keep your hands to yourself, can you?"

He chuckled, his thumbs caressing over her nipples. "Is it my fault you're so sweaty and in need of a scrubbing?"

Her eyes fluttered closed and her chest arched up against his probing fingers. "Yes, actually, it is," she said breathlessly. "You're the one I was fighting, after all."

"Oh yeah," he said with a low, sensual laugh. "How could I forget? I find it very sexy when you transform into dinosaurs."

She burst into laughter, her violet eyes popping open and lighting with amusement. "Why do you think I keep doing it, hmm?" She wrapped her arms around his waist and curled her body in against his. "It's so I can lure you into showers with me."

Gar's hands traveling down her back, along her curve of her backside where he palmed the round globes, pulling her in tighter against him. "I do believe it was me who lured you in here. You resisted."

"Barely," she said with a little snort. "Though I try my hardest, I seem unable to resist you, Garfield Logan."

His lips quirked at this. "Years of wearing you down seems to have been worth the effort. You've stopped resisting."

She bobbed her head in agreement, unable to deny it. "You did work very hard to wear me down, didn't you? It took years of teasing and goading…forced social interactions…invasive uninvited hangouts… I must say, you did put in the effort. You broke down my defenses with monotonous chatter and refusal to recognized boundaries."

"Both things I excel at."

Her lips tugged into a smile and she shook her head. "I'm not sure I'd go bragging about those skills."

One of his soapy hands inched its way between them, slipping downward to caress along her inner thigh. "I don't see you complaining right now about my inability to recognize personal boundaries."

She gave a sharp gasp as his hand slid between her legs, a finger slipping inside of her as he palmed her mound. "N-no complaints at the moment." Her words were breathy and ragged. Her eyes fluttered closed and she rocked her hips to match the rotation of his wrist, rubbing herself against him.

"I didn't think so."

At his cocky tone, one of her velvety eyes peeked open and she glared at him. "You're far too confident for your own good."

"It's hard not to be when I have you mewling in my ear."

"I do not mewl," she said indignantly. Then with a look of determination, she grabbed the shower gel and lathered up her own hands. "And I don't think you'd do much resisting either if I turned my attention your way."

Wanting to prove this point, she wrapped a soapy fist around his already hard erection. Using the slickness of the bubbles, she stroked her hand fluidly up his length. At the top, she gave a precise little twist of her wrist that curved her palm over the head of him.

Garfield's eyes rolled back in his head and he gave a low, guttural groan at the feeling. Eyes closed, he absorbed the sensation of her small hand running up and down his length, teasing him, tormenting him. His hips rocked, his breath quickened. And all the while, he continued stroking her with his hand, his finger gliding in and out of her slick channel. He could hear her own panting breaths and it turned him on even more, knowing how into this she was. They'd gone through a rough patch a month ago and it was nice to know he still turned her on, still had the ability to bring her pleasure. It filled him with pride and contentment to know they were strong enough to survive whatever life threw at them.

They continued stroking and teasing one another until he couldn't take it anymore. With a growl, he hefted her up with his hands under her thighs and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed her into the wall, thrusting himself against her, rubbing their bodies together.

She whimpered, her fingers pressing into the flesh of his back as she clung to him. Her mouth found his and she kissed him forcefully, her teeth nipping at his bottom lip. "I want you."

He wanted her too. More than anything. Not caring that they were dripping wet, he shut off the water and teleported them to his bedroom. His aim was getting much better, because he landed them directly on the bed. They fell to the mattress in a tangle of limbs.

Raven recovered quickly and scrambled on top of him, pinning him down with a wicked smirk. "I've got you right where I want you."

He smiled up at her, relaxing into the sheets. "And I'm right where I want to be."

Raven shifted her legs slightly, sliding more firmly around his hips, her body grazing his in all the right places. "You're supposed to fight more."

"Hell no," he said with a laugh. "I will never fight having you naked, wet, and slippery on top of me. It's pretty much been a fantasy since the day I met you."

"Oh really?" she asked with a quirk of an eyebrow. "Since the day you met me?"

He shrugged guiltily. "I'm a guy, aren't I?" Then he grinned unabashedly. "And your uniform is crazy tight."

"Such a bad boy," she purred, lowering her upper body so her breasts skimmed against his chest and her lips brushed along his with the barest of touches.

He growled, arching his hips up against her at the blatant teasing. "You have no idea." It was taking everything in him to be patient, to not give in to his urge to flip her over and bury himself deep inside of her. If he'd still had his animals, it might have been a battle he couldn't win.

Thankfully for him, she was the one under the influence of an animalistic nature. As if unable to hold back any longer, she lifted ever so slightly to get him into place and then sank down on top of him.

Garfield gave a long, drawn out groan at the overwhelming sensation of her body sheathing his. It was a feeling that always seemed to sap him of thought, of words. It left him a mindless, incoherent fool.

Giving an inarticulate murmur, he thrust his hips up roughly to me the next rock of her hips. She might be in control, he but was determined to express just how much he appreciated her actions.

She whimpered, her nails curving into his chest.

He welcomed the pain. He welcomed every little bit she gave. He couldn't imagine his life without the soft sound of her sighs, the way her hair tickled his arm when she put her head on his shoulder, the way she scrunched her nose when she read the morning paper. Raven had become an addiction for him, and he couldn't get enough. He would never be able to get enough.

She seemed to reciprocate the feeling, because she was moving on top of him with a pace that was not conducive to longevity. She rocked on top of him faster and faster, her exhales coming out in breathless pants as she sought completion.

He reached up and cupped the breasts that bounced tantalizingly in front of him. He squeezed lightly, earning himself another whimper from her. She began riding him harder, faster, her hips grinding down against his until he almost couldn't take it anymore. His hands moved from her breasts to her backside and he gripped it tightly, helping to guide her frantic motions.

He was so thoroughly caught up in the physical sensations that he nearly missed something vital. Nearly.

A glint of fang flashed in the corner of his vision. And the purposeful way Raven lowered her head toward his shoulder had his body instinctually tensing. " _Raven, stop_."

His words didn't seem to penetrate her erotic fog. She nuzzled her face into his neck, teeth grazing the flesh there.

"Raven, wait!"

His hands were on her shoulders in an attempt to push her back, but then her teeth sank into his neck. Fangs punctured skin, sinking deep. Her jaw tightened, clamping down, and Garfield Logan went slack against her advances.

All fight left him as a groan of ecstasy tore from his throat. His fingers clenched her backside, digging into the flesh as an orgasm like no other ripped through his body. He came hard, with a vulgar cry escaping past his lips.

His eyes crossed; his vision blurred. The whole world disappeared for him other than her. There was nothing but Raven. There would never be anything other than Raven.

She must have released him—though he wasn't sure when—because her head was thrown back as she screamed out her own pleasure. Her body clamped around him, tremoring, milking him for all he was worth.

And then suddenly she collapsed to his chest, spent and exhausted. She let out an fatigued whimper and nuzzled against him, her hair tickling his chest, her lips grazing his pectoral.

It was then that the full weight of their circumstances hit him. "Shit," he whispered, fear filling him. "Shit. Shit. Shit." His hands found her shoulders and he pushed her to a seated position. "Raven…shit. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know you would… I didn't think… Oh, shit."

Her purple eyed filled with concern and the sated fog seemed to lift from her. The post-coitus glow effectively stripped away. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

"What you did… Oh shit." He sat up and reached out to grip her arms. "Raven…you bit me. For animals…it's not just biting. It's…" His right hand lifted to his throat and he fingered the tender flesh there. "It's…more. A lot more."

She blinked at him, not understanding, but a look of self-doubt filled her eyes. That look nearly broke him. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked, sounding small and frightened.

He sighed, running a hand over his face. How could he explain the severity of this to her? "Not wrong. No." Dropping his hand, he trained his gaze on her purple eyes. He supposed the best way to address this was blunt fact. "Raven, when you bit me…you marked me as your mate."

"I _what_?" She reared back, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Some animals…they…well, they bite to mark another as their mate, to ward off other potential males. Or in this case females. It's a mating ritual. Like staking a claim, marking territory."

"So I just marked my territory? Like a dog?" she asked, embarrassment leaking into her voice.

He shook his head, unable to stop his small chuckle. Even in the midst of something so serious, she was able to make him laugh. "More than that. What you did…it was a lifetime bond." He waved a hand in the air, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment of his own. "Like in those cheesy werewolf novels girls love. The guy bites the girl, marks her as his own for all eternity. It was more like that."

"Do I look like the kind of girl who reads cheesy werewolf novels?"

She didn't. Not at all. Only…he'd gotten really good at recognizing her expressions. And she occasionally looked guilty while reading. It was his keen observation, not to mention his nosiness, that led him to discover that Raven sometimes read romance novels hidden behind benign and boring dust jackets. So he knew for a fact she'd read a werewolf romance or two. But he wasn't dumb enough to confess that out loud. "No…but…" He shrugged helplessly. "I think you get the idea."

These words seemed to somber her. All teasing gone, she spoke quietly. "What you're saying is that I just marked you as my lifelong mate?" On his wary nod, she blew out a breath. "Wow…I had no idea." Her gaze found his. "I…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Of all the reactions he'd expected from her, this wasn't it. He'd expected panic. Remorse. Fear. Regret. Embarrassment. He hadn't expected her to be sorry. "Why are you sorry?"

"That was a major thing I just did. And I didn't ask you for permission. I didn't…think."

"You didn't know," he corrected. "How could you have asked? I should have made it clear to you, explained." He grimaced. "But I never stopped to think about the fact that things that have been a part of me for years are new to you. The impulses…"

"Have you ever…had an impulse? To bite me?"

"Are you kidding? Many times. I just wasn't going to do it without talking it over with you beforehand. That's not something you do without consulting with your partner first. And…" He trailed off at her pointed look.

"Like I said, I'm sorry."

"Raven, I…" He paused, took a deep breath for courage, then plowed forward. "I don't care that you bit me. If that's what you were feeling in the moment, if that's what your instincts were, then I am beyond flattered. I would be the luckiest guy in the world to be marked by you. You don't need to apologize to me. Whatever you did, I take willingly. I'm the one that failed you, not the other way around."

"So you would be okay with it then? Me marking you?" she asked tentatively, quietly. "It's just the fact that I didn't understand that bothers you?" On his nod, she whispered, "I don't regret it."

He sucked in a breath, shocked by her words. They were like a punch to the gut. He loved Raven. With all his heart. And he knew she loved him. But Raven's life had been much different than his. She'd not had loving support growing up. She wasn't used to the family life. He loved her, and she loved him in return, but he hadn't let himself think about anything beyond that. He hadn't seen her getting married, having kids, doing the whole domesticated thing. They shared a bed, and he had contented himself with that. But now…

His gaze searched hers, hope and longing in his eyes. "You don't care if others know you've marked me as your mate? Because anyone with powers associated with animals will know. Aqualad is going to tease us relentlessly. I guarantee it. Mallah might try to use one of us against each other. It is going to open a whole new world of commitment. Are you sure you are okay with that?"

She gave a little shrug. "I think I am."

He couldn't believe it. This sexy, amazing woman was fine with the two of them being so irrevocably linked. "This is like a big deal."

Raven reached out to cup his face in her hands. "I told you before—you're it for me. Why would I care if everyone else knows that too?"

He grinned, his chest filling with love for her. "I just never thought you would—"

"What? Want that cheesy werewolf love story ending?" she asked with a wicked curve of her lips. "All I can say is that it's growing on me."

In that moment, he knew he'd never loved anything else more than he did Raven. Not Steve, not Rita. Not even pizza. "I'm never letting you go, you know that, right?" Before she could respond, he dove on her, driving her to her back as he cocooned her with his body.

"Prove it."

"I intend to, darling. I intend to." And with that, his mouth crushed to hers.

OOOOO

Two days later, Garfield stood looking up at the sky as fireworks bloomed in the air. He was on the top of Titans Tower, watching the city's 4th of July fireworks with his friends. He and Raven had crept off for a moment of privacy, and he held her back against him while they watched the night sky fill with colorful blossoms.

Raven nuzzled her head back against his chest and pulled his arm tighter around her. "This moment is just…perfect," she whispered.

He couldn't have agreed more. After everything they'd been through lately, after every test they'd faced, this moment made all of the challenges worth it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so at peace, so content. And the majority of that was because of the woman in his arms, the one he'd never thought he deserved but always desired.

"Raven…"

She spun in his arms, gazing up at him. "Gar?"

She looked beautiful. Amazingly, unbelievably beautiful. Unable to help himself, he lowered his mouth to hers for a firm but chaste kiss. He took his time, savoring the feel of her lips against his own.

Her cape fluttered in the breeze and he slipped his hands underneath it, pulling her tighter against him. He kissed her again, this time deeper. He asked himself again how a goofy ass jokester like him had gotten so lucky. He wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve this…

"Raven…" His hand slipped into his pocket and tightened around the small box there. The morning after she'd bitten him, he'd gone to the jewelry store. He'd picked out a ring, a subtle one that fit her personality and reminded him of her spirit.

He'd chosen the ring with such confidence, but now his hands trembled with nerves. She wanted him for more than just an ongoing hookup. He knew that. She loved him. She'd marked him as her mate, had claimed him as hers. And she hadn't even batted an eye. She wanted this too…right?

He swallowed thickly and began withdrawing his hand from his pocket, the words he would say to her rushing through his mind at lightspeed. This was his moment. Fireworks burst magically in the sky. She was here, warm in his arms. He had the ring. All he had to do was drop to one knee and…

"Hey, lovebirds! Are you guys coming back or what?" Cyborg's voice cut into the silence, causing Gar to jump. "We're waiting for you two before we start this rooftop dessert. Get your butts back over here!"

Raven laughed lightly, her boyfriend's near action unknown to her. "I guess we got caught." She stood on tiptoes to lightly press her lips to his. "We should get over there before there's no cake left for us."

As she sauntered away, Garfield let his breath out slowly. His fingers uncurled from the ring box and it fell back to its spot deep inside his pocket. He'd been wrong. This wasn't the moment.

He didn't want to rush it. He wanted his proposal to be just right. Besides, he already had the ring. It was only a matter of time before he asked her the question that would change everything. The time was coming. And it was coming soon.

 _That's it for now! Only two more months to go after this one and we've reached our year! We're in the final stretch!_


	11. Chapter 11: Stronger

_CharmedPrincess101: I hope this chapter lives up to expectations!_

 _Guest: It makes me so happy to hear that my story is worth a re-read. That's a great compliment._

 _AwesomeRockStar101: I'm glad you liked the last chapter so much! And yeah, Cyborg just ruined the proposal, but don't worry, I have something very special planned for that. Something very special indeed… You'll just have to keep reading to find out what._

 _FanficsOP: It does feel like this year went by so quickly! It's hard to imagine I only have one more month after this! I'm going to miss this story. But yay for binging!_

Raven and Garfield had been back in the field for a little over a month now, and things had been going almost perfectly. They'd been adapting to their new powers quite well. They'd been assisting in hostile situations and earning their place on the Titans' roster once again. It had been a good month…until now.

Raven brushed debris, sweat, and blood out of her right eye as she stared up at the wreckage of what was once a bank. Her entire body ached as she struggled to get herself back onto her feet. All she wanted was to lie down, to catch her breath for a few minutes, but her dust-hazed eyes caught sight of Robin through the rubble.

He was on his own, battling Cinderblock as best he could. But she could tell he was exhausted, that each block came slower than the last. It would only be a matter of time before he mis-stepped and took a bone-crushing blow.

Starfire was buried under rubble to Robin's left, where Cyborg was desperately using every last reserve of energy to dig her out. The cybernetic powerhouse was cursing, his arms trembling as he attempted to lift a support beam out of the way.

And Garfield…where was Garfield? She hadn't seen him since the explosion that had taken down half of the two-story building. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stumbled, fell to a knee, and forced herself upright again. Where was Gar?

Through the dust, she saw a swirl of blackness and realized it was Garfield's soul self. He was using it to help Cyborg free Starfire. So he was all right. Her other half was okay. She breathed a sigh of relief and the fear in her chest eased as she caught sight of him in the doorway to the bank's restroom.

That was right. As the bomb went off, she remembered seeing him thrown back into the bathroom, his body going through the door. It was the last thing she'd seen before part of the wall came down on top of her.

None of them had been expecting what they faced today. A group of no named thugs had decided that the best way to rob a bank was to lure Cinderblock in to do damage. Once the massive villain was in destructive mode, they could blow a hole in the bank's vault and make off with the money.

Only they hadn't expected the Titans to arrive so quickly. And they hadn't tested out the strength of their explosives. It had been too much explosion, not enough control. Total chaos had ensued. And the (for once) innocent villain was now nothing more than a violent distraction. He was flailing about in a panic, destroying anything in his path. He'd obviously not been a part of the heist and was confused by the explosion. In a panic, he was more violent than ever. And Robin was having a hard time restraining the giant.

Now that she knew Garfield was safe, Raven was able to better focus. She pushed a large chunk of cement away from her leg and started in Robin's direction. He seemed to be the teammate that needed the most assistance at the moment.

When she was only a few paces away, she shifted into the shape of a panther. Timing her jump, she managed to run up the villain's thigh. She jumped to his arm, then raced up his shoulder. Once near his ear, she growled, hoping the aggressive sound would distract him.

It worked.

Cinderblock's attention was suddenly riveted on her, giving Robin a chance to breathe. The villain spun in a circle, his massive arms reaching, trying to dislodge her.

Raven held on with all of her might, merely attempted to keep him busy while the others regrouped. Knowing she needed more than a panther to stall Cinderblock, she transformed into a gorilla.

The gorilla had really been Garfield's signature move, so she tried to avoid it when possible, but he was right—it was so dang useful!

Now in gorilla form, she pounded at Cinderblock's head, smashing bulky fists down at his skull…or what she assumed would be a skull if he had one. She wasn't quite sure.

While she had Cinderblock distracted, Robin did a back handspring, flipping away from them. In an instant, he was beside Garfield and Cyborg, helping as they pulled an unconscious Starfire from the rubble.

Raven momentarily froze, shocked by the sight. What manner of force would it take to knock Starfire out? The woman was immeasurably strong. _A building falling on her_ , Raven thought dryly. _That is the type of force._

But, thankfully, Starfire was stirring. She blinked her eyes open, then sat up with a gasp.

Robin had her by the elbow, helping her as she forced herself to her feet. "Are you all right, Star?" There was worry in his voice, the type of worry only expressed by someone in love.

Starfire reached out and cupped Robin's cheek. "I am fine, Robin. Do not worry." With that, she flitted into the air, zooming off to assist an elderly woman trying to make her way to the exit.

Robin nodded, the tension easing from his face. An instant later, he was back to being their leader instead of a concerned boyfriend. He turned toward Raven, intent on returning to help, but then his eyes widened. "Raven, look out!"

Before she could reaction, one of Cinderblock's massive hands wrapped around her neck. With a roar, he hurled her through the air. Her body collided with Robin's, returning to its human form due to her being startled—just as Gar had assured her it always would—and the two of them toppled to the ground. "Sorry." She panted out an apology, embarrassed at having been distracted by the sight of an unconscious Starfire. But then again—so had he.

"It's fine. Let's just…"

She was already climbing to her feet, turning toward Cinderblock.

But Robin reached up and grabbed her arm, halting her. "No." He shook his head, his eyes on the villain as Cinderblock lumbered toward the exit. "This wasn't his fight. He's just trying to get out of here like everyone else. Let him go." He inclined his head toward the crumbling building. "Work on helping civilians make it outside. This whole building is structurally unsafe. Get everyone out. That's our new mission."

Raven stared after Cinderblock, her instincts telling her to chase him. But Robin was right. This wasn't his heist. The people responsible for this mess were buried under concrete, needing rescued like everyone else. For once, their battle wasn't a fight. It was helping injured people in a terrifying situation.

She nodded, her eyes scanning the scene. There were still a lot of people lingering about, many refusing to leave the side of trapped loved ones. Dust thickened the air, making it hard to see, making it hard to breathe. Still, she knew she had a job to do.

Her gaze landed on a young woman kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down her dirt-stained face. She was at the side of a man whose leg was pinned beneath a chunk of concrete.

With a little salute to Robin, Raven raced in their direction. When she was nearly upon them, she transformed into an elephant. Curving her tusks under the stone, she lifted her head. The concrete was heavy and she knew she'd be drained by the end of this missions, but she managed to free the trapped man.

He scooted to safety, where his girlfriend wrapped him in a tight hug before helping him carefully to his feet. He grimaced and used her shoulder for support, but otherwise, he looked unharmed.

Raven lowered the concrete back to the ground and returned to her normal form.

The instant she did, the couple crowded in on her, each grabbing one of her arms, asking how they could ever repay her. They showered her with gratitude and thanks that had her blinking in surprise.

Raven did her best to extricate her arms without knocking the injured man over. Her old powers had kept her in the background, mostly away from civilians. But now that she had Gar's powers, she needed to actually physically touch something to move it. There was no more hiding in the background. People were now noticing her. It was alarming.

"Um…you're welcome," she said uncomfortably. She knew this was what Gar dealt with on a constant basis, but she couldn't for the life of her understand why he liked it so much. People. Social interaction. It sent a shiver down her spine. "You two should really get to safety."

Baffled at the looks of adoration on their faces—the public did not like her that much—she spun back toward the mess that was their current situation.

She turned just in time to see something that stopped her heart cold.

There was a kid—a little girl. She looked no more than four. She was crying, stumbling around lost. And above her, a large chunk of loose rubble shifted. The moment it started rolling, Raven knew she would be the only one able to get to the girl. She was the closest. But she also knew she wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. The piece was too large, nearly the size of a filing cabinet. Even if she turned into something bulky…well, the falling structure had knocked Starfire out. What would it do to her?

Despite this, Raven knew she didn't have a choice. She couldn't watch the girl die without trying. Adrenaline and fear pumping in her veins, she took off. She watched the falling rock even as she raced toward it. She watched its descent, knowing there was a good chance she only had a few moments left to live.

Then her eyes trained on the little girl. The fear on her tiny face. " _No!_ " The scream tore from her lips, sounding choked and painful. She was so close…so close. As the cement came tumbling down toward her head, Raven did the only thing she could. She slid on her knees, reaching the girl's side at the last possible second. Then she curled her arms protectively around the child, cocooning the girl in her embrace. She ducked her head down over the girl's, eyes squeezed tightly shut, doing everything in her power to protect her as she awaiting the crushing blow.

Only it never came. After a good thirty seconds, she blinked her eyes open and lifted her head in confusion.

That was when she saw Gar. His arms were thrown out toward them, his face strained with effort. His gaze was concentrated on a spot above her head.

Glancing up, Raven saw the massive chunk of building hovering just above her head, trembling and shaking in mid-air.

"Get out of there," he grunted, his voice weighed down with stress and effort.

Eyes wide, Raven clutched the girl to her chest and awkwardly scooted backward out of the way. Her feet scrabbled against loose rubble, but she managed to get them out of the path of the stone. A moment later, it crashed to the ground.

Raven sat stunned, staring at the thing that nearly killed her. If Gar had been a moment later… If he hadn't seen… Her chest tightened at the thought.

"Amelia!"

Raven glanced up as a frightened woman hurried in their direction. She was limping and there was a large cut on her forehead. It was obvious she'd just been freed from some of the rubble herself.

"Oh, Amelia!" The woman fell to her knees in front of them and the little girl lunged into her arms. The two cried, their sobs hitting Raven's ears as she remained seated, still stunned by what had just occurred.

The woman finally composed herself and reached out to grab Raven's wrist. "You saved my daughter. You saved her."

"I…"

"You and Beast Boy. You saved her."

"He…" Raven trailed off. Telling the woman that Gar no longer went by the name Beast Boy felt somewhat inappropriate at the moment. "It's…it's our job…"

"This went above and beyond doing your job. There is no thanks that could ever be enough. I owe you my life. My daughter's life." Then the woman did something completely unexpected. She reached out and hugged Raven tightly.

Raven was so startled she jumped. She'd never been hugged before by anyone other than Gar…and Starfire on occasion. It wasn't something she'd expected. But it was…surprisingly nice. "It's okay." She hugged the woman in return, suddenly understanding exactly why Gar liked this so much. She'd never connected with a civilian like this before, never felt their genuine gratitude. "You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad I was there to help."

"You are an angel, Miss Raven. An angel." Still crying, the woman hugged her tighter before finally climbing to her feet, clutching her daughter against her chest. "We will never forget what you've done for us." Then, she headed for the exit, for safety.

An angel? An _angel_. Raven was part demon. Part evil. No one had ever compared her to an angel before. It was startling to say the least. The gratitude was startling. The emotions. The positivity. All of it.

Climbing to her feet, she turned to find Starfire carrying an unconscious man toward paramedics that now waited at the edge of the rubble.

"This is the last one," Starfire informed her. "One of bank robbers…or should I say attempted robbers." She shook her head in disapproval. "They buried themselves under rubble as well. Foolish men." With that, she flew off, getting the man medical attention despite the fact that he'd caused this entire debacle.

Turning away from her friend, Raven sought out Garfield. It took her a moment, but she found him.

He stood amidst the rubble, gazing around himself as if to check and make certain they'd gotten everyone out. Dirt streaked his cheek and he lifted an arm to wipe sweat away from his brow with a forearm. He was a dirty, filthy mess. Even so, he'd never looked more attractive to her.

Crossing the distance between them, she swallowed thickly at the realization that he'd saved her life. That happened with teammates from time to time, but this one had rocked her to her core. She'd been willing to die just so a child didn't have to alone, but he'd saved them both.

Reaching his side, she threw herself into his arms. Her hand cupped his cheeks and she pressed her lips firmly to his. She held him tightly, not caring who watched, not caring who saw.

His arms slipped easily around her waist, and when he parted his lips ever so slightly, she deepened the kiss. She kissed him with everything in her, not wanting to let him go. He'd saved her life.

She was suddenly hit with the intensity of what it truly meant to be a hero. She'd never been on this side of things before. But there was no denying it—he was her hero. It was something she would never question and never forget.

She abruptly understood how civilians sometimes got infatuated with super heroes, because she had a mega infatuation of her own right now. She'd stopped thinking of him as a boy a long while ago, but there was something so masculine in the way his body fit to hers, the way his strong arms held her. When had he gotten so…manly?

Her fingers slid up into his hair, caressing his scalp, and he offered a low groan of appreciation. His arms tightened around her, pulling her lower body closer to his.

"Hey, you two…I hate to break up what is obviously meant to be a private moment, but…you guys are giving the news crews quite a show."

At Cyborg's warning, Raven got ahold of herself. She broke the kiss and withdrew from Gar's arms. As she slowly pulled back, she let her fingers travel down his arm. "I love you," she whispered.

His eyes darkened with arousal, with awareness at her words. "You too." He kissed her knuckles quickly before releasing her and moving off to help Starfire assist the paramedics.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she watched him go. Her heart was still pounding in her chest. This battle had been different than any other in the past few years. It had shaken Raven in a way she hadn't thought possible. It was the thought of losing a life, such a small and innocent life. Then it was the mother's deep gratitude. It was an emotional level Raven was not accustomed to. And then knowing she was with a man that would do anything to keep her safe, a man that stepped up when she was at her weakest to become the proverbial knight in shining armor… These were all things she would have rejected years ago. The fear, the emotions, the vulnerability. But there was no denying it. Try as she had to keep herself removed, she'd become human. She was a slave to her emotions just like any other. She felt compassion and fear…and love. Love more than any other emotion. And she wouldn't trade any of it. There was no going back. Not that she would even give it a second thought. For the first time in her life, she felt…human. And she embraced it greedily.

OOOOO

Raven sat in the OPS room after the team's usual morning workout. It was standard for them to review media coverage after they'd gotten in a training session. Robin always thought it was important for the team to understand what the public thought they were doing right—and even more importantly what they felt the Titans were doing wrong.

She had sat through many lectures about how the public found her standoffish and cold. She and Robin had also had many talks in the past about how she could come across as warmer. Many of those talks had ended with her giving him the middle finger. She'd always refused to play the part the public wanted from her. She was who she was.

But recently… Recently, the feedback was changing. It had gone from snarky criticism to outward praise. Somehow, in the last six months, she'd managed to become a role model. She wasn't sure how or when that had happened, but these meetings had been going a lot more different. They'd become almost bearable.

"This brings us to Cyborg's interview on _Jump City, Today_ ," Robin said with enthusiasm. He hit play on the remote in his hand and footage of Vic on the talk show filled the screen. "Great job. Not only did you represent the Titans in a positive light, you brought a lot of attention to the local engineering program you helped get underway. I heard after this bit, they received a hefty donation from one of Jump City's wealthier citizens."

Cyborg grinned, his expression one of obvious satisfaction. He took pride in the work he did for the community outside of being a super hero, and being recognized for that always put a smile on his face.

"Next up… Raven…" Robin hit a button and skipped to an unfortunate moment the previous morning where one of the gossip columnists had caught her unaware outside of her favorite bakery.

Raven watched with embarrassment as the reporter asked her if Garfield was still an animal in bed after losing his ability to shapeshift. It was a dirty question and meant to throw her off guard. And it had worked. She flinched as, on screen, her image responded.

"Um…sure?"

Robin sent her a pointed look. "Next time, the appropriate response is _No Comment_. We have young fans whose parents will find this inappropriate."

"Sorry, Robin," Raven grumbled. "She caught me off guard."

On screen, Starfire suddenly popped into view. "As Raven's best friend, I can assure you that her lovemaking with friend Garfield is more than the satisfying. She is most pleasant after their activities of coitus."

Robin paused the video and sent his girlfriend a look of disapproval. "Star, what have we said about oversharing?"

"Sorry, Robin," she said, her voice contrite.

"And finally," he said, changing to a new video. "This clip has been playing on every news channel in the city. It's also getting a lot of online hits on social media…"

On screen, a reporter smiled at the camera. "In other news, Jump City's cutest couple—"

"I don't know about cutest," Robin grumbled in annoyance.

"—are giving Jump City something to smile about. The public-favorite couple of Beast Boy and Raven saved the day when an explosion in a bank this afternoon nearly killed a young girl…"

Raven watched as, onscreen, the events from the day before played out. She watched herself slide across the floor to cradle the little girl, protecting her from that chunk of falling building. The video was frightening to watch, even knowing how it turned out. But it was unbelievably amazing for her to see Garfield in action. She watched in rapt fascination as he used a significant amount of power to stop falling cement moments before it crushed her and the child. The video then flicked to Raven hugging the girl's mother.

"There's nothing like a mother's thanks," the reporter continued, "but it was this moment of appreciation that melted all of our hearts…"

The video changed to one of Raven crossing the crumbling building with determination and throwing herself into Gar's arms. The kiss they'd shared filled the screen for her teammates to see.

Cringing, Raven averted her eyes from the scene. "I…I'm sorry?"

Robin turned off the television and gave her a look of surprise. "Sorry? Why sorry?" He shook his head with a little grin. "Raven, that might be the best footage I've ever seen of you. You save lives every day, but the public doesn't get to see the softer side of you very often. Seeing you with that mother…seeing you break down a bit and show some vulnerability…show need for another person…" He shrugged. "It was endearing. I've no complaints with that footage."

He paused, crossing his arms over his broad chest and eyeing her warily. "But it brings me to my next point…" He frowned ever so slightly. "I'm not the only one who caught that show. So did Control Freak. The warden says he's been requesting they play it on a loop." He paused, his brows knitting together in concern. "He's also requested to see the two of you later this afternoon."

Raven's heart leapt in her chest. Control Freak had been refusing to give Robin any answers after switching her and Gar's powers. He'd been silent, refusing to comment on anything, refusing to tell them if Cyborg was making any ground in repairing the broken weapon. He'd been smug and full of himself and…impossible.

He'd never once requested to see them. He'd never given any indication that he was willing or even knew how to switch them back. This was the first he'd ever shown any interest in them since the events that switched their powers a few months ago.

Jumping to his feet, Garfield marched toward the door. "Then what are we waiting for. Let's go talk to that freak."

OOOOO

Raven crossed the prison's visitation room toward the single occupant that waited at a table for her and Gar. She studied his dour expression, the grim surroundings. The place was barren of all cheer, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She wasn't used to seeing this side of things, and it was…rather depressing.

"Well, if it isn't the media's favorite couple," Control Freak said with disgust. Something close to a pout touched his lips and he crossed his arms over his chest.

Steeling herself, she slid into a seat opposite him and gave her best glare, not wanting him to see how nervous she actually was. "You're the one that called us here, not the other way around. What do you want?"

"I want out of here," he said gruffly.

"Then I guess you shouldn't have robbed that electronics store." Garfield lowered himself into the seat beside Raven. He automatically took her hand in his and placed them on the table in front of them, a subtle show of solidarity.

Control Freak's gaze shifted to their hands and his scowl deepened. "I want to cut a deal."

"No way—"

Raven cut Gar off. "What kind of deal?"

"I want out of here."

"You already said that," Gar said with irritation. "What are you looking to offer in exchange?"

"I can change you back."

Raven shared a glance with her boyfriend. They weren't exactly authorized to negotiate a plea bargain, but she didn't doubt Jump City's finest would do anything possible if it meant helping them get their powers returned to their proper places. Especially when Control Freak's sentence wasn't actually all that long. He hadn't stolen anything during the incident that got him locked up. All he'd really done is a lot of property damage.

"Who says we want changed back?" Gar asked casually. "I might be okay staying like this if it means you're still behind bars."

Raven's eyes widened at his bold statement. She knew they both wanted changed back, so she wasn't sure what he was going for with this.

"You want out? You change us back. _And_ you pay for the property damage you caused."

"What? No way? Forget it. I'm not paying for—"

"Then we're done here." Gar took her hand and climbed to his feet.

She followed him, her heart racing at the sudden turn of events.

"All right! All right! I'll pay."

Smirking, Gar spun back around to face the man that considered him a nemesis. "I thought you might change your mind." Strolling back over, he slid into the seat he'd momentarily vacated. "Of course, we'll have to clear it with the JCPD. It's their call ultimately."

"Yeah. Whatever."

Raven watched the exchange with fascination and amusement. Gar had really taken control of the conversation, getting more out of this than they'd initially been hoping for. It was only right Control Freak pay for the damage instead of the store's insurance company. He'd been the one at fault, after all.

Still, there was one thing nagging her. "Why'd you do it?" she asked. "You didn't take anything from the store, and petty theft isn't your usual. It's like you were waiting for us to show up so you could blast us with that gun. Why?"

He turned his sour expression on her. "I wanted to…" He waved a hand at them. "Switch you guys all up. I figured once your lives weren't so damn perfect you'd wake up and ask yourself why you were dating a clown."

She blinked at him. "You held up a store and switched our powers in hopes I would…break up with Garfield?" The entire thing didn't make any sense to her.

"Maybe." Control Freak hesitated. Then seemingly unable to help himself, he added, "And once he was out of the picture, I thought maybe you'd turn your attention elsewhere. Maybe to someone who would worship you for the goddess you are."

"Are you referring to _yourself_?" She gaped at him in surprise.

"So wait…" Gar leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table as he stared at Control Freak in astonishment. "You devised this whole plan because you had a thing for Raven?"

Control Freak merely scowled, refusing to admit such to a thing, but they all knew the answer to Gar's question. He definitely had a thing. He'd been trying to win Raven's affections with his poorly devised plan.

They all sat silently absorbing this information until the villain's earlier insult seemed to finally sink in, causing Gar to glare darkly. "And I am not a clown."

Control Freak rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Raven. "Seriously. What do you see in this guy?"

Raven shrugged. "He makes me laugh." Any man with the skills to do that was a keeper, as she wasn't known to laugh often. Or ever.

"I could make you laugh," Control Freak said haughtily.

"But you're not even funny."

He scowled at her counter. "I could learn."

"I'm a hero," Raven said in bewilderment. "You're a villain."

"It's been known to work."

"No. It really hasn't. It would never work."

Control Freak sighed in annoyance. "I figured that out by the way you two were sucking face on television for all the world to see. If switching your powers didn't tear you apart…" He made a sound of annoyance. "Well, keeping you this way isn't much fun if it's not making you miserable. I might as well switch you back so I can get out of here."

"And you'll pay the property damages," Gar said firmly.

"Yes. Yes. I'll pay the property damages."

Raven smiled. "So we're getting switched back?"

Garfield reached out to take her hand once again. "We're getting switched back."

OOOOO

The sight of Control Freak sitting in their living room was the oddest thing Raven had seen in a long time. He looked so completely out of place and uncomfortable. Not that he shouldn't feel that way. He'd been a giant pain in their asses these past few months…not to mention all the other times he'd been a nuisance to the Titans. So yeah, he'd earned a little bit of discomfort.

Robin sat across from him, an aggressive and warning expression on his face. "No funny business, Freak. You made a deal."

Control Freak shot him a sour look. "I said I'd fix them. Just give me a couple minutes to concentrate." He fiddled with the device he'd used to switch their powers, pulling at internal wires and moving about components.

Cyborg stood over his shoulder, watching him work with interest. "Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're not as smart as me," Control Freak said mockingly.

"Because you don't think like a criminal," Robin corrected.

"Semantics," Control Freak retorted.

Raven rolled her eyes at their bickering. "How much longer?" she asked impatiently.

"Almost…ready," Control Freak said distractedly as he fiddled with the casing of the weapon. Then suddenly he slammed the side back into place and lifted the weapon up for them to see. "There! It's ready."

Raven licked her lips and glanced at Gar. For months, they'd been waiting for this moment. The moment their powers were returned to them. Sure, she loved Garfield. And getting to see his world, his powers, firsthand definitely gave her a better insight into him. But she was ready to get back to normal, ready to get back to being her old self. She was more than eager to trade in the ability to purr for the ability to teleport.

Taking her hand, Garfield stood and walked her over to stand in Control Freak's direct line of sight. "So we just let you shoot us with that thing again and our powers return?"

"It's not as simple as that," he grumbled. "There's a lot of rewiring and switch settings involved, but that's the basic gist."

Gar's fingers tightened over Raven's. "Good. Then let's get this done."

Rolling his eyes, Control Freak lifted the weapon. His finger was tightening on the trigger, but he hesitated a moment, his gaze going to Raven. "You sure you're not into bad guys? We can be a lot of fun." He waggled his brows. "The two of _us_ could have a lot of fun."

"I'm sure," she said dryly.

"Yeah. Yeah. That's what I figured." With a pout, Control Freak pulled the trigger on his weapon.

An instant later, Raven and Garfield were hit with a forceful blast. They were expecting it this time and had prepared. Both went flying onto the mattresses Robin had lined up on the floor behind them.

Despite the cushioning, Raven still landed hard. The wind was knocked out of her. Her body ached, and she was momentarily disoriented. Gar had landed nearby, and she reached a hand out to him, wanting to make certain he was all right. "How do you feel?" she asked breathlessly when his hand slid into hers.

"Like I need to get the license plate number of the bus that just hit me." With a groan, he dragged himself to a seated position. "Other than that, I'm not quite sure."

"Me either." She lifted a hand and stared at it, wondering what sort of powers ran through her. She was almost afraid to know. "Can you shapeshift?"

He paused, then shook his head. "No. I'm not—" Then he held up a hand. "Wait!" An instant later, a small pop filled the air and he suddenly turned into a green little mouse. Another pop followed, and he stared at her with wide, excited eyes. "It worked! Holy balls it worked!" A grin spread across his lips and he rapidly transformed into a flurry of green animals—a duck, a wolf, a snake, and lastly his infamous gorilla. When he finally returned to his human form, he was grinning so wide she worried it had to hurt. "I can't believe it worked. I honestly thought we were going to be stuck that way forever. I thought I'd never get to feel the wind in my fur again. I thought—"

Raven reached out with a hand—a hand made of her soul-self—and clamped it over his mouth, stopping his rambling. It felt so amazing to have the use of her powers again that she almost—almost—broke into excited chatter as well. Instead, she merely offered him a smile. "We're back."

OOOOO

Raven lay staring up at Gar's bedroom ceiling. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest, and her body felt boneless and spent. "That was…wow." She turned her head to gaze at him with appreciation. "That thing you did with your tongue…"

"That's called shapeshifting, baby."

"It was _good_." On his cocky grin, she rolled her eyes. Then she couldn't help but throw in another comment about his sexual skills in relation to his unique super hero abilities. "You know, I always used to assume you shifted your…uh… _stuff_ to make it…bigger."

He sniggered and lifted up onto one elbow. " _What_?"

She felt a blush touching her cheeks, but she continued anyway. "Well…you're fairly well-endowed. But you were always the shortest of us, so I assumed…"

He shot her a mock look of disapproval. "First off, I'm taller than you now. I'm not so short anymore. And second off, I have never shapeshifted to give myself a bigger dick."

"I know. I was pleasantly surprised to find out your size in that department didn't change when you lost your ability to shapeshift." She giggled at the playfully scandalized expression on his face. "But while we're on the subject of being surprised…" She lifted a hand to delicately touch her throat. "You bit me."

His eyes widened, filling with guilt. "I…yeah." He cringed. "The animals didn't like being marked without having marked you as ours in return. I'd intended to talk to you about it first, but—"

She cut him off with a firm kiss. "I'm glad you did it."

"Wally is going to give us so much flack for this," he whispered against her lips.

"Let him." She kissed him again. "I refuse to be bothered by outside opinions. In fact, I don't think things could be any more perfect than they are right now."

"I could think of a way," he said.

The thickness of his voice, the sudden seriousness he usually lacked instantly drew her attention. She lifted her gaze to his, a question in her eyes. "Gar?"

He glanced toward his dresser and bit his lip. He seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he grinned at her and shook his head. "Not the right time."

"Right time for what?"

Tapping her on the nose, he sat up in bed and swung his feet to the floor. "Ice cream. Ice would make this perfect. Timing be damned."

"Ice cream?" When he padded to the door, she gave a little squeak of protest. "Gar, you're naked. You're right. Not the right time."

He winked at her over his shoulder as he opened his bedroom door to the hall.

When he disappeared into the dark hallway, she yelped. Clutching his sheet to her chest, she hurried out after him. "Garfield Mark Logan! If Robin catches you naked in the kitchen, he is going to kick your ass."

"Is he now?" Beast Boy—it felt so good to be able to think of him as Beast Boy again—waggled his eyebrows as he entered the empty kitchen and crossed to the refrigerator. He tugged open the freezer and tossed her a carton of ice cream.

Raven caught it, very careful not to drop the sheet, and glanced down at the container. "This is Robin's ice cream…"

"And I intend to eat it off of you." He snatched a spoon out of the drawer and popped it into his mouth. Rubbing his hands together eagerly, he nodded in the direction of his bedroom.

Shaking her head at his unnecessary risk taking, she led the way back to his room. Despite her grim expression, she felt heat rush to her core at the thought of Garfield licking ice cream off of her naked body. "Fine. But if you get me all sticky, I'm getting a shower."

"Oh, I plan on it, Rae Rae. I plan on it."

Smirking, she entered his room once again, thinking that she had indeed been right. Life didn't get much better than this.


	12. Chapter 12: The Different Sides of Raven

The Different Sides of Raven

Garfield Logan sat in the Titan's Tower feeling more content than he had in a long time. The past month had been so calm—aside from the few crimes they'd had to foil. He'd been enjoying the return of his powers, finding a new appreciation for his animals now that he had them back. His relationship with Raven was as strong as ever. The team had been running smoothly. Everything was just…perfect.

He slid a hand into the pocket of his uniform and fingered the small box that had been resident to his clothing for the past few weeks. His heart galloped in his chest at the thought of what this ring represented, at the fear of rejection.

Raven had once told him she wasn't wife material, but that was before they'd started dating. She'd once said she wasn't girlfriend material either. He'd proven that one wrong already. What was one more challenge?

"Hey, B.B.! Isn't this your song?" Cyborg called over as some silly pop song by Taylor Swift came over the device Starfire was listening to.

Pushing the engagement ring to the back of his mind, he grinned over at his best friend. "Hell yes. This is my jam." Never one to pass up an opportunity to be silly, he jumped on top of the table Robin was currently using to do some sort of investigative work and began doing an over-the-top, extremely feminine dance. He swiveled his hips and shook his ass. He'd seen Starfire dancing around enough to mimic her actions. He knew he looked like an ass, but that was the fun of life, right?

Robin grabbed his paperwork and leaned back out of the way, shaking his head in disbelief. "If Jump City could see the way you behave on a daily basis, they'd be a bit more fearful for their lives." Despite this, there was a smirk on his lips.

Starfire gave a squeal of delight and began clapping her hands. "Oh, most enjoyable!"

"Wow," Cyborg said with a chuckle. "Wow. That's all I can say."

Beast Boy laughed and wiggled his ass a little more provocatively at his best friend. "You started this. Just never forget that." He spun to face Raven and pointed at her, winking. Then he shook his ass in her direction, mocking a seductive shimmy.

Raven rolled her eyes, peeking at him over the top of the book she was reading. "I can't believe I fantasize about having your babies."

Her words caught him so much by surprise that he stumbled and tripped off the edge of the table. He hit the ground with a crash, but he barely noticed. She fantasized about having his babies?! That hit him like a punch to the gut.

So she had been thinking about their future. The things he wanted in life that he'd worried she never would… Were they actually a possibility? Joy welled up inside of him as he climbed awkwardly to his feet, and a grin plastered itself across his face. "Raven, I—"

The moment he took in her expression, his stomach sank. It was one of horror, of embarrassment, of humiliation. She kept her gaze lowered to the ground as she struggled to her feet, her shoulders stiff and her jaw clenched. "I… Excuse me. I have…" She shook her head, obviously unable to come up with a lie off the top of her head. "I have to go."

"Raven…" He didn't want to embarrass her more by grabbing her or forcing her to stay, so he stood awkwardly in place and watched her race out of the room. His heart ached as he watched her go. A myriad of feelings swirled through him upon her departure. The biggest was fear.

Had voicing her thoughts made her realize she didn't want them? Or was she just that embarrassed of him that she didn't want anyone else to know how serious they were about this relationship? No matter how he looked at it, her reaction wasn't good.

He ran a hand nervously along the back of his neck and offered his friends a weak smile. "Well, this is awkward."

Robin and Cyborg remained silent, obviously at a loss for what to say. Raven had just run from the room at the mention of having kids with him. That was more than just a little awkward. It was humiliating. And it took a lot to embarrass him.

It was Starfire who finally spoke. "Friend Garfield…" She hesitated. "Do not feel discouraged. Raven struggles very much with her emotions. I am sure she did not mean…"

Sighing, he ran a hand over his face. Then he offered them a second smile, this one a little less forced. "I know. Trust me. I know."

"You should go after her," she said, motioning encouragingly toward the room's exit.

"I know that too." With a grimace, he headed toward the door. Though he paused in the archway and glanced at them over his shoulder. "Hey, if she hasn't dumped me before now, I don't think she's going to."

He had his concerns though. He truly did.

As he headed for her room—knowing that's where she would have escaped to—he took a slow, calming breath. If he was honest with himself, he trusted Raven. He knew she didn't have doubts about them. Not after everything they'd been through.

Once he stopped to calmly assess the situation, he realized she was embarrassed by her confession. She was always so careful in front of their friends. Everyone knew they were dating, but she didn't express public displays of affection often. They were few and far between, and that was why he loved them so much. She showed affection in public, in front of their teammates, when her emotions became too much for her to repress. He reveled in being the reason for her slips.

His tension easing somewhat, he approached her door and gently rapped his knuckles against the surface. "Raven? Can I come in?" He waited a beat, listening for her response. When he didn't get one, he knocked again, this time a little louder. "Raven?"

At the silence that persisted, he frowned. She never just ignored him. Even when he was at his most annoying. "Raven, I'm coming in." He entered, expecting to hear words of protest, but he discovered that the room was empty.

His frown deepened. He'd been sure she would come here. This was her quiet space, her escape when she needed to be alone. She lived in his room, but she meditated in her own. Well, there or on the roof…

Maybe she'd gone up to the roof, to meditate or think in the fresh air.

He was just turning to leave when a glint of metal on the bed caught his attention.

Her mirror.

He was familiar with that mirror. All too familiar.

Raven had escaped not just into her room, but into her own mind as well.

He scowled. He understood her need for privacy at times. He even understood her desire to work out some emotions on her own. But the comment she'd made, the topic involved, it wasn't a one person kind of thing. She was in her mind sorting out their future, perhaps even changing her mind, without giving him a say so in the matter.

Well, he wasn't having it. He refused to let her get so freaked out by such an innocent comment to the point where she needed to hide from him. Where she second guessed their future. He refused.

"You're not shutting me out, Raven. No way." Snatching the mirror up from the bed, he steeled his nerves before looking down into its surface.

And then suddenly, he was no longer in Raven's room.

In an instant, he'd been sucked into the mirror. Into his girlfriend's mind.

OOOOO

Garfield found himself somewhere he thought he'd never visit again—the inside of Raven's mind. He recognized the rocky terrain, the unstable surroundings. It brought back a flood of memories from the last time he'd been here. Then, he'd had Cyborg with him. Now, he was facing this alone.

Swallowing nervously, he glanced around, taking in the barren atmosphere. Surely, Raven was around somewhere. Or at least some version of her. Nodding to himself, knowing that the only way to proceed was to, well, proceed, he took a tentative step forward.

"Hello?" he called out, hearing his own voice echo back at him. "Raven? Are you here?" It felt odd, knowing he was calling out into her mind, asking if she were present. Of course she was. She was here. She was just…hiding from him.

"I know you're here! Can you just…come out and talk? Please?" He gazed around himself, waiting. Hoping. A moment later, his request was granted, but not in the manner he expected. He turned to find a figure shrouded in a green-hooded cape.

"Bravery," he said, wondering why he was surprised to see her. Coming here, he'd known things weren't going to be easy. This was Nevermore. Raven hadn't escaped into her mind for no reason. He'd expected he might have to go through a few of her "selves" along the path to get to her.

"Garfield." She stared him down, arms crossed under her chest. "What are you doing here? This is an invasion of our privacy." Her expression was hard and unforgiving. She appeared as unmovable as a mountain.

"I think you know what I'm doing here," he said, voice as unwavering as hers. "I'm looking for Raven. Would you mind going and getting her?"

Bravery sent him a dry look. "I think you know the answer to that."

He sighed. "I figured that's what you'd say." He ran a hand along the back of his neck. "So we're not doing this the easy way. Let's do it the hard way then." He strode off in a random direction, making a path through the difficult terrain that was Raven's mind. He didn't figure there was a right or wrong way to go. This place didn't exactly exist on a map. It was his girlfriend's _mind_. He figured the action of movement in any direction would be enough to get this journey started. "All right, so we walk. You take me the long way to Raven and the two of us can talk through some stuff."

She stood rooted to the ground for a moment. Then, reluctantly, she followed after him. It was either follow or let him roam through her mind all on his lonesome. He _knew_ she didn't want that.

Smirking at how well he knew her, he glanced sideways at Bravery. "So why you?" he asked, voicing the question on his mind. He couldn't fathom what he and Bravery had to discuss.

She pursed her lips, as if considering refusing to tell him. Then she sighed and said, "I was the only one at the moment brave enough to face you."

That made sense. In a very odd, messed up sort of way. His girlfriend didn't feel brave enough to face him. What a grim thought that was. "You don't have to put on a brave face for me. You know that, right?"

She glanced sideways at him as they walked along. " _I_ know that. The other pieces of her?" She shrugged noncommittally.

"I love you at your most vulnerable," he said softly. "Because I know you don't show that side to the rest of the world. When it's just us, and you let your walls down, those are my favorite moments." He smiled over at her. "I love that you're brave. Love it. You are a total sexy bad ass." He paused, sending her a firm look. "But you don't have to be. I'm here either way."

"She… _we_ appreciate that. You care for us when we're not at our strongest."

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't?"

A glimpse of a smile touched her lips. "You didn't need me here as a buffer."

"Agreed. So can I talk to Raven now?" he asked as they walked along. He hopped over an open space in the ground to the next stretch of land, cautious of where his feet landed. The last thing he wanted was to go plunging into the recesses of Raven's mind and end up lost.

"She's not ready," Bravery said simply.

He nodded at this. He was willing to be patient. The confession she'd made in front of their friends was a big one, and he knew she felt rattled. "Okay," he said gently. "She's not ready. What now then?" He was willing to be patient, but he needed a focus. He needed to know he was helping her through this. He wasn't about to leave and abandon her to this herself. It involved him, their future, and he wanted to have his opinions known.

"Now I hand you over to someone else." She reached over to squeeze his arm. "You've thoroughly won me over. Now you just need to convince the rest of us…the rest of her. The bravest parts of her are ready for the next step. You just need to get the rest of her on board."

"I will," he said firmly. And he meant it. He would stay here as long as it took to make Raven feel comfortable with their future. Whatever it took, he was willing to give. "So who's next in line?"

Bravery nodded in the direction they'd been walking.

Garfield turned to find another version of Raven.

This one wore an orange cloak. She leaned up against a pillar of rocks and stared at him with an expression of pure boredom.

"Laziness," Bravery said with disdain. She shook her head and Gar realized the two were very much opposites. One of them was Raven's desire to jump in, be the hero. The other was her desire to sit back and let someone else take control. He'd won over one of them. Would he be able to win over the other?

He glanced toward Bravery to thank her for guiding him, but she'd disappeared. Letting out a long exhale, he turned his attention away from his last task and on to his new one. He didn't have time to look back. He needed to press on. With this in mind, he made his way over to the second version of his girlfriend.

"Hey," he said cautiously, eyeing her for any sign of what she was thinking, but her expression gave nothing away.

"Hey," she said neutrally.

He reached her side and casually leaned against the stone pillar beside her. "So you're next on my list, huh?"

She shrugged. "I was the only one who couldn't find the motivation to be afraid of you."

He snickered at that honesty. "I always did like you."

The hint of a smirk touched her lips.

"I guess the questions is whether you like me or not."

She shrugged.

His brows rose in surprise. "A shrug, huh?"

She shrugged again.

"Care to explain?"

She let out an impatient huff. "I don't know… Life is just easier when I don't have to worry about relationship stuff. I can coast through, do my own thing." She shrugged a fourth time, making it hard to ignore how jittery she seemed. "Relationships are a lot of work. It takes motivation that I don't always have."

He gave a quiet mumble of understanding. "I get that. I do." He arched a brow. "No one understands the desire to be lazy more than me. I promise you that." He elbowed her playfully in the side. "You're allowed to be lazy, you know? If this relationship stuff starts weighing you down, just give the word. You and I can lock ourselves in our room and just watch some TV. We can shut out the rest of the world. We don't have to impress everyone else. We just have to make us happy."

She glanced at him in surprise. "You'd be fine shutting everyone else out?"

"Baby, I prefer it." The astonishment on her face at the endearment had him laughing. She was still Raven. She was still his woman. Only on a smaller scale.

"So you…honestly wouldn't care if I washed my hands of the outside world and barricaded us in our room?"

"Nope."

"Where there's no one looking. No pressure to be perfect. No expectant stares."

"Sounds fantastic to me."

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. It was like she'd been expecting a different answer than what she received. "You're telling me you're perfectly okay with being lazy in this relationship?"

"I mean, not all the time, but some days sure. We all need a break from responsibilities and expectations."

She gave him a soft little smile. "That sounds nice."

"It does, doesn't it?"

Laziness gazed at him affectionately for a long moment, her expression one of relief. "Thank you," she finally whispered. "Sometimes…the pressure gets to me. I just need to take a step back."

"Anytime you need it, just give the word. There will be no judgment on my end. I promise you that."

She smiled at him, all of the tension gone from her face. Then she glanced farther down the path and her eyes widened slightly. "It looks like my time with you is coming to an end. Someone else wants your attention."

"Who's that?" His gaze followed her to find a pink-clad girl waving at him. Her smile was brilliant, her expression cheerful. He tapped Laziness lightly on the shoulder in farewell before pushing away from the stone pillar and approaching the newcomer. "Happiness," he greeted.

"B.B.!" She gave a squeal and raced in his direction.

Snickering, he accepted the hug she bestowed on him as she threw herself into his arms. "What took you so long?"

She tugged at his arm in excitement. "I wanted to come see you right away, but you know I'm not one of the dominant personalities." She shook her head at the ridiculousness of that. "I should be. I totally should be. But Raven is still very cautious about letting me out."

"She's getting better at it."

"Totally." With a skip in her step, she tugged him forward along a path. Rocks slowly gave way to grass and flowers. Soon, they were walking through a beautiful garden, one that matched the mood of this version of Raven. "Especially since she started dating you. It's been such a big change." She let out a whimsical sigh. "Did you know that when you were her Secret Santa it was one of the happiest times of her entire life. How crazy is that?"

Her jovial mood dipped momentarily. "It's actually kind of sad. How hard she's had it." She blinked, her gaze vacant as she remembered past misery in Raven's life. But as she was one of Raven's more optimistic personalities, she quickly shrugged it off. "But that's all behind her. Trigon is behind her. Feeling so alone is behind her. She has you now!"

As amusing as she was, Garfield understood why Raven hid this bubblier side of herself from most of the world. She was known for her dark personality, her stoic behavior. Letting Happiness out with free reign made her vulnerable. And Raven did not like to be vulnerable. It was sad, but he understood her need to protect herself. She'd been hurt enough.

"I know this may seem like a silly question, but are we good?" He sent her a curious look. "I've not done anything to make her happier side wary of me, have I?"

Happiness gave a little scoff. "Of course not, silly! You're a big part of why I get to come out more often! Without you, I'd still be limited to those rare girl bonding times with Starfire that Raven pretends to hate."

He nodded. "Good. It's nice to know at least one of her emotions was on board from the beginning with this whole relationship thing."

"Of course I'm on board!" She leaned in closer and squeezed his arm tightly to her chest. "You make us so happy! Happier than we've ever been. Happier than we ever knew we could be." She sent him a beaming, energetic smile. "I'm really only buying some time for her other emotions. They weren't expecting Laziness to get behind advancing this relationship so quickly. She surprised them."

She sent him a little wink. "Me, I think it's a great idea. Why not move forward? Pretending this relationship isn't progressing is silly. And it stresses her out. Why not just embrace it?"

"That's kind of what I was thinking." His hand went to his pocket and he stroked the ring box there once again. They'd been dating less than a year. It was probably crazy to be considering marriage. But he just knew this was the right move. Raven was it for him. There would never be anyone else. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, so why wait?

"You're, like, totally good to us," Happiness went on, unaware of his own inner turmoil.

He smirked at the thought of Raven using the word "like" as if she was some type of party girl, but chose not to comment. Happiness was a ball of positive energy and he didn't want to do anything to mess that up.

"Raven knows that," she went on. "She does. She's just afraid to express that she's fully aware of that fact."

He nodded. "It's okay. I know." He grinned wryly. "But just a little secret…she does show it."

Happiness cocked her head, a questioning expression on her face. "She does? I always complain she doesn't do enough, that she should be grabbing you by the front of that uniform and kissing you silly."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Trust me. She shows it. Like when we're watching movies together and I lean my head on her shoulder? She strokes the tips of my ears. I've always said girls dig the ears, but…not the way she does. There's just something about the way she does that…" He quivered at the thought. Raven stroking his ears turned him on in a primal way he couldn't even express with words.

Happiness looked unconvinced and yet eager to hear more at the same time. So he gave her more. "And the way she curls herself around me at night. Like I'm the only thing in the world that makes her feel secure. It…" He felt emotions rise inside of him. "It makes me feel…" He shook his head, unable to continue. "It shows me all I need to know."

Happiness tilted her head to the side and gave him a gentle smile, one less beaming than her usual. "You love her."

"Of course I love her."

She nodded, taking this information in. "I think…I think we've arrived at our next destination." Reaching out, she plucked a flower from a nearby bush and tucked it behind his ear. "You have my vote, Garfield. You always have." She took one of his hands between both of hers and squeezed. "Keep bringing me out. Keep pulling me to the surface unexpectedly. It feels nice. Not just for me, but for your Raven too." She smiled. "I've been leaned on more this past year than the last ten years combined. Thank you for that."

She turned and looked down a rocky path, one littered with loose stones and uneven pavement. "I'll leave you here." She hesitated, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck."

He nodded, peering into the dusty roadway before him. Knowing that he wouldn't get many answers just from the terrain, Garfield took a tentative step forward. Then another. Then realizing this was Raven and he was determined to get each and every one of her emotions on board, he strode forward, a confidence growing in his steps. "Raven," he called out. "Or whichever version of you this is. Come out. We need to talk."

He was surprised when a hooded figure stepped out from behind a large boulder. He hadn't even seen her there. But then again, this was Raven's mind. Perhaps she'd just appeared. Or maybe teleported in.

Or maybe he was just that unobservant. What did he know?

He stared at this Raven, hidden by her brown cloak, and struggled to remember what she represented. Brown… Brown… Brown… And then it hit him. "Sloth."

She nodded, her cloak falling back to reveal wind-tussled hair. She was less…put together than his Raven, but he could still see her in there. "Beast Boy," she said evenly.

"Ooh! Beast Boy. Going more formal. Hmm…" He cocked his head to the side and stared at her. "What beef could you possibly have with me? It's not like I'm a neat freak or anything. I'm as dirty and lazy as the next guy."

"I'm not pretty," she said simply, completely derailing his thoughts.

Her statement caught him so much by surprise that it caused him to stumble over a rock in his path and nearly fall to his face. He recovered, but he knew his expression must be one of pure shock. " _Excuse me_?"

"I'm not pretty." She let out a huff. "I'm not like Starfire. All the guys love Starfire. And I'm never going to be that. I don't know why you waste your time with me." His jaw dropped, but she continued as if she didn't notice. "I'm not the flirty type. I'm never going to giggle and cling to you how she does with Robin. I'm never going to send you flirty eyes. I'm not like Jinx with her girlish laughs. Or Ravager with her blatant sexuality that drives men wild. I'm just…this. I'm messy and I'm flawed. I don't have perfect hair or a charming smile. I don't have—"

Garfield cut her off by invading her personal space. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up against him. Before she could react, he kissed her. He kissed her hard and long, his mouth unforgiving about what he was taking.

When he pulled back, he stared down into wide, worried purple eyes. "Don't you dare ever say you aren't, beautiful. Don't you dare."

"Garfield—"

"You are the most beautiful, most sexy woman I have ever met. Sure, maybe you don't toss it around like Rose. And maybe it isn't so blatant like Starfire where all the reporters flock to you. But I don't want that," he said firmly. "I want _you_. I want that subtle level of sexiness, the kind you save just for me."

He tightened his arm around her back, his gaze fixing to hers intensely. "You drive me wild, Rae. The scent of your shampoo. The quirk of your lips when you're trying to be tough but you're fighting a smile. The way you clink your spoon against your tea cup when you're distracted by what you're reading. _That_ to me is sexy. All of it. You're sexy when you're in nothing but your panties waiting for me in the bedroom. But you're also adorable to me in moments you wouldn't expect. Like the other day when you got a drop of spaghetti sauce on your uniform and were trying to clean up before anyone noticed."

He cupped her face with his hands. "I want all sides of you, sweetheart. The sexy. The funny. The serious side. And yes, even the sloppy, uncoordinated, awkward side. I love her too. Don't you dare question it."

Sloth gazed up at him in astonishment. Her mouth gaped open just a little bit, her breath brushing his lips. And then she pressed up on her toes and kissed him.

He sank into it, his hands cupping her face, holding her to him. When they parted, he whispered, "Don't you ever think you aren't beautiful. Don't you ever think you're less than any of the other women. To me, you're everything."

"Oh, well done."

The mocking tone reached Garfield's ears a moment before he was yanked away from Sloth. His back hit the ground—hard—and it was only his training that had him rolling through and nipping up to his feet. Crouching down in a defensive stance, he stared across a few feet of rocky terrain at Raven's most intimidating emoticlone—Rage. "If I did such a good job, why the hell are you attacking me?"

"Because not all of Raven's emotions know what's best for her."

"And you do?" he asked incredulously as she came at him with a right hook. He blocked it and ducked under the left fist that came swinging at his ear.

He missed the knee that came barreling up into his gut.

"I protect her," Rage said as he buckled over, clutching his ribs. "And sometimes that means from herself."

He swept his arm against the back of her ankles, knocking her backward against the rocky ground. "You don't need to protect her from me."

Rage rolled to her feet, facing off against him once more. "I especially need to protect her from you."

His defensive stance fell, his arms dropping to his sides. He stood gaping at her, confused. "Why? Why would you ever need to protect her from me?"

Rage took advantage of his distraction. She kicked his kneecap out, dropping him to his knees before her. "Because you're fickle." When he opened his mouth to protest, she glared and spoke over him. "You don't know how to be serious. You're immature. You're…messy."

She spread the palm of her right hand and a ball of black and purple magic formed there. "One day you're going to grow bored of this relationship thing. You're going to end it. You're going to leave her broken. More broken than Trigon ever did. More broken than Malchior left her. More broken than when you called her creepy. You are going to destroy Raven. I can't stand by and let that happen."

Garfield glared up at her, not even bothering to defend himself. Nothing could hurt worse than the accusations she'd just flung at him. "That's never going to happen."

"You don't know that!" She hurled the ball of magic at him, catching him in the chest. It blew him backward through the air. He would have come crashing down to the ground, but she tightened her fist in the air, holding him suspended in an imaginary grasp. "You don't know that," she repeated forcefully.

"I…I do," he croaked out, clawing at the invisible fingers that wrapped around his throat. "I would never…hurt her."

"All men say that."

"I…mean it." He struggled against her grasp, wondering if Raven would allow Rage to do real harm to him.

"This week you mean it." She tightened her grip around his throat. "But next week? The week after that?" She shook her head. "I just can't risk it. You're too unreliable. You lack commitment."

Something about her last sentence sent a tremor through him. Then he realized why. _Commitment._ "Look…look in my right pocket."

Rage frowned. "Why?"

"Just…look. Look in the pocket."

She stepped cautiously forward. From where she had him suspended, she had to reach her arm up to head level in order to dig inside his pocket. Her fingers curled around the small box and she retrieved it.

Pulling it toward her, she stared at the small, unassuming velvet-covered box in her palm, her expression perplexed. Concentration broken, she released her hold on him and Garfield collapsed to the ground. "What is this?" she asked.

He rubbed at his sore throat, not bothering to get up from his knees. "Open it."

The instant she peeled back the lid of the box, the anger washed away from her face. It was replaced by a thoroughly stunned expression. "This…this is an engagement ring."

"It is."

Her gaze sought his. "You… You're going to ask her to marry you?"

"I am."

The fight drained out of her. Rage gaped at him and the box dropped from her fingers.

Garfield lunged forward and just managed to catch it before it hit the dirt. "Careful. This thing was expensive." He climbed cautiously to his feet, his gaze warily locked onto hers. "So can you stop fighting me, now? I'm not going to break things off with her. Ever. I love Raven. I promise you that."

Rage pressed her lips together, and he could tell it was a struggle for her to go against her nature. But finally, she nodded. "Fine," she said tersely. "You win. For now." She took a step back, putting distance between them. "But I warn you, Garfield Logan, if you ever hurt her…I'll be the one to come find you."

He swallowed thickly but nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Noted."

"Don't give me reason to come find you," she snarled.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He watched her storm off, her red cloak billowing behind her. "Hey, if at all possible, could you not tell Raven about the whole engagement ring thing? I kind of wanted it to be a surprise!"

She flipped him the middle finger in response, not even bothering to turn around.

He frowned, unsure of what that response meant...unsure of what he should do next, where he should go next. He almost followed, but he was certain that wouldn't end well for him. No, he wasn't meant to follow Rage. Raven's next personality wouldn't be introduced by Rage. It would come from—

"I'm right behind you."

Brow rising, Garfield spun to find a yellow-clad version of Raven. "How did you know I was wondering…"

"The uncertain expression on your face," Knowledge said with the hint of a smile. "The way your foot shuffled in her direction but then stopped and pulled back. You were wondering if you should follow. You obviously decided against it. And your confused expression let on that you were wondering exactly where I would be coming from."

"It always amazes me how smart you are."

"It shouldn't." She paused, staring at Rage's retreating figure. "She'll keep the engagement ring thing a secret. Just so you know."

"So you can keep things a secret from Raven. That's useful…if a little alarming."

"We can make her forget about things. At least for a few hours. It's nothing permanent, but we have the ability to protect her from her own reality or emotions for a little while by distracting her. It's a defense mechanism." She shot him a sideways look. "Though we don't often shield exciting news from her. It's kind of the opposite of what we're here for."

He nodded, kicking at a pebble. He knew there was a conversation they needed to have, but he felt awkward just jumping into it. On the other hand, it wasn't like this was a social visit. "So what's your take on this whole engagement thing, since the cat is now out of the bag. What does Knowledge have to say about all of this?"

She kicked at a pebble of her own with a shake of her head. "I feel like I want to be excited about it."

"That's good."

She turned to gaze at him, her expression grim. "But I can't."

His heart sank at this confession. The smartest parts of Raven were telling her to run. It didn't give a guy much confidence. No, quite the opposite. It was a harsh blow to the ego. "Can I ask why not?"

Knowledge shrugged. "Have you seen divorce statistics lately? And those are of people who don't have the added stress of being super heroes. The odds are not in your favor, Garfield."

"You're worried about marriage statistics?" he asked in surprise.

"Not just marriage statistics, but super hero life expectancies." She frowned, her brows knitting together. "Do you know how few super heroes get that happy ending? It's more often that the stress of their lives tears them apart. Or one of them dies in combat and the other never recovers. Raven has lost so much already. I'm not sure she would survive your death." She shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes it's just easier to let go of the things you love so they can't hurt you. The deeper she falls, the worse it will be when she loses you."

"That's bullshit."

Knowledge blinked at him, obviously astonished at being challenged. She was used to being the smartest one in the room, so being told she was wrong came as a surprise. He could see it in those intelligent eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I said that's bullshit."

She blinked at him, her mouth gaping ever so slightly. It would have been adorable had he not been so irritated at her.

"You can't live your life by the statics of others." He reached out and grabbed her hand, placing it against his heart. "I don't care what other people do. I don't care what other people think. I know how I feel and that's all that should matter."

"But—"

"But nothing. Listen, Knowledge, I've spent a great portion of my life alone, aching for family. Aching for someone to give a shit about me. I hid the pain behind jokes. I pretended like everything was perfectly fine. But you know it wasn't—Raven knows it wasn't."

He held her hand against his heart, not letting her tug away. "I know she's not just with me because I can make her laugh. I know that's a perk, but it's not the deeper, more meaningful reason." He shook his head. "She's seen past my walls. She knows how badly I just want someone to love. How badly I want someone to love me in return. We both have a shitty history when it comes to family. When we finally found someone else who understood that, who was able to love the mess we are unconditionally…we both knew we'd never let go."

He tightened his grip on her fingers. "So I don't care about statistics. I don't care what your books say. I don't care what anyone else says. Facts on a sheet can't possibly understand the way I feel. It can't understand just how desperately I will fight to keep what's important to me."

He knew he was winning the conversation by the softening of her eyes, the tenderness he saw there. Raven (and Knowledge) might be clinical in thinking at times, but sometimes statistics on a piece of paper just didn't matter.

"As for super hero life expectancy…" He shook his head. "I'm too far gone anyway. I can't lose you. So I'm not going to. Simple as that." He knew he could never promise this, that life by definition was unpredictable, but he was fairly certain he'd gotten across just how much he would fight for her. "We both know some super heroes that died and refused to accept that as the end. They came back. I know I would too. I'd claw my way back from hell to you. I promise you that."

Knowledge's hand balled into a fist against his chest and she swallowed thickly. Tears brimming in her eyes, she merely bobbed her head in understanding, in agreement.

"Fuck statistics. It's you and me. Til the end."

"Fuck statistics," she whispered back. Then, being the version of Raven she was, her eyes widened at such a blasphemous comment.

He chuckled and sent her an affectionate smile. "I won't tell anyone you said that." He lifted her knuckles to his lips and brushed a kiss against them. "Now, if you don't mind, I see someone else waiting for me." He bobbed his head in the direction of a large pillar, where another version of Raven hid.

She peeked at him from around the pillar, then ducked out of sight.

Knowledge followed his gaze, her head cocked thoughtfully to the side. "Timidity," she informed him with a little frown. "You might have to go find her. She'll hide back there all night."

He nodded. "I figured as much." He shot a wink at Timidity when she peeked around the pillar at him. Chuckling as she ducked away again, he returned his gaze to Knowledge. "So are we good?" He held a fist out to her, looking for a bump.

She blinked at him in astonishment, as if she couldn't believe what he was asking of her.

He chuckled again and raised an eyebrow at her. "You really gonna leave me hanging?"

Tentatively, she lifted her fist and ever so gently tapped it against his. "We're…uh…we're good."

"That's my girl. I knew you were the smart one for a reason."

She rolled her eyes at this. "I think you're well aware that we all have a soft spot for you. I'm not special in that." She pulled her fist back and crossed her arms around her stomach, staring at him contemplatively. "Statistically, you shouldn't have been able to pull this off. But you seem to defy all statistics, so…" She smiled wryly and shook her head. "Rage was really the only defense we had." She shrugged. "But you won her over. After you had her, I think you knew how this was going to shake out."

"So if we all know how this is going to end, why do I have to go through all of you? Can't I just see Raven now?"

Knowledge shook her head. "Even though Raven knows how this is leaning, she needs time to process it. She needs you to convince all of her." She frowned. "I know that's not fair to ask of you, but—"

"Raven's worth it," he said, cutting her off. "Don't worry about it." He shrugged. "When we started dating, I knew there was a lot of emotional baggage with her. Hell, there was a lot of emotional baggage on my end as well. That comes with this life. Doesn't mean it's not worth the effort to move beyond our troubled pasts and heal."

Knowledge smiled slightly and placed a hand against his cheek. "Sometimes I think you're wiser than even I am."

Garfield grinned. "Nah. I'm just a dumb goofball who gets lucky occasionally."

"I think we both know that's not true." She arched her brow at him pointedly. "You need to take more credit for the positive qualities you bring to us." Her lips curved into a little smiled and she nodded in the direction of Timidity. "She's waiting for you. Go convince Raven's timid side that you're the real deal. Good luck. But I don't think you're going to need it."

Gar nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He was almost there. He had a few more parts of Raven to convince until he could get to the prize—the girl he loved. "All right. Time to knock 'er down."

With determination in his step, he headed toward the pillar Timidity hid behind.

When she saw him approaching, she gave a yip and hid behind her stone column.

He walked around it, coming to stand in front of her.

She had her back pressed against the rock surface, as if she could sink into it, and her eyes were wide with alarm.

"Hey," he said gently. He didn't come any closer and tried his hardest to adopt a casual, non-threatening stance. "Can I ask why you're hiding from me?"

"You…you intimidate me."

Those were the last words he would have ever expected to come out of Raven's mouth. He knew this wasn't the whole product, but this was a part of her. Her emotions didn't represent things that she didn't already feel. They were just perhaps exaggerated versions of those feelings.

"I… _I_ intimidate _you_?" Nothing intimidated Raven. Nothing. She was the strongest person he knew. And he was probably the least threatening super hero of all time.

Timidity bobbed her head in confirmation of his question, eyeing him warily.

"Why? How? How could I ever intimidate you? You're so strong."

She ducked her face, hiding her eyes. "Your temperament is intimidating," she confessed. She looked up at him finally, her gaze troubled. "Your positivity. Your sense of humor. Your…goodness. It frightens me at times. It makes me fear I'm not virtuous enough, that I don't deserve to be with someone so happy, so… _good_." She wrapped her arms around her waist, curling in around herself. "How could a half demon ever deserve to be with someone like you?"

He gaped at her in shock. "I think you have me up on a pedestal that I don't deserve."

She shook her head in disagreement. "After everything you've been through, you're so positive still. You're so honorable and moral. You don't let things get to you like I do. You're funny and you have a good outlook on life. You—"

"I hide my pain better." He grabbed her arms and unfolded them, pulling him toward her. "It doesn't mean I don't have the same fears as you, or dark thoughts. It doesn't mean I don't have bad days." He pulled her into a hug. "You don't ever have to be intimidated by me. We're a team. It's not a competition. If you have a bad day, I'm here for you. And when I crumble, I trust you'll be there for me. That's how this works."

She tucked her face in against his chest. "You just seem so out of my league."

He couldn't help it. He burst into laughter at that. " _I'm_ out of _your_ league?" He shook his head in amusement. "Sweetheart, you have no idea how opposite to the truth that is." He snickered. "The first four months we dated Cy reminded me daily how totally out of my league _you_ were. He said you had to be under some sort of evil spell, that you'd eventually shake off whatever influence you were under and dump my dumb butt."

She lifted her head again, gazing up at him. "Cyborg always gives you crap, so that doesn't really mean much."

"He wasn't wrong. I also kept waiting for you to wise up and dump me. I kept waiting to mess things up or annoy you one too many times. I spent the first few months of our relationship intimidated by you. You were like a goddess who'd somehow granted someone of little importance all of her affection. Some days I'm still intimidated by how gorgeous you are, how completely damn sexy. I keep wondering why you're with a silly looking guy like me. Seriously."

"So what you're telling me is that we both find each other intimidating at times?" The look in her eyes was hopeful, as if she felt better knowing she wasn't alone.

"A thousand percent yes." He shrugged, tugging her tighter to him. "I think that's the way it is with all relationships. You don't have to worry though. If you ever start to feel intimidated by me, just remember you've seen me get tangled up in my own underwear and trip, bashing my nose off the floor. Nothing intimidating about that."

Timidity smirked. "That was rather amusing."

"So always remember that—we're a team. And I'm way more intimidated by you than you are me."

She nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Okay." She clung tightly to him and inhaled deeply, as if she was trying to immerse herself in his scent, his embrace. "I'll try to help her remember that."

He stood hugging her for a long moment, reveling in the feel of her warm in his arms. He was so close to finishing this, so close to winning Raven over. He just needed to be patient a little while longer.

"So is it my turn with him?"

The chipper voice had Timidity raising her head. Her eyes widened at who she found standing there, and then a blush touched her cheeks. "He…he's all yours."

Garfield followed her gaze and a surprised smile touched his lips. "Passion."

Timidity unraveled herself from his arms and took two big steps back. "I'll leave you two alone." She scurried off, pausing only to cast a bashful glance over her shoulder at them.

Garfield waved after her before spinning to face Passion. "You're the last resistance?" he asked in amusement. Passion had always liked him, even before he and Raven started dating. It was like her secret desires for him surfaced when Passion made an appearance. Like deep down she'd always known they had a romantic connection just waiting to be unleashed.

Her lips curled into a coy smile as she approached him. "Or maybe I'm the reward for convincing the rest of them."

"I like the sound of that," he said as she seamlessly melted into his arms.

She gazed up at him, her purple eyes swimming with amusement. "I figured you would."

He felt the stiffness ease out of his shoulders as Passion slid a hand up his chest. When she got into a mood like this, Raven could erase every little bit of tension from him. She could lower his every defense.

Her lips found his and he responded, sinking into the sensation. His arms curved around her waist, tugging her closer.

She willingly molded against him, her hands sliding up his chest, over his shoulders, and around his neck. She deepened the kiss, her mouth moving sensually along his. A soft sound of desire escaped her, and it drew a growl from deep within his chest.

He tugged her lower body closer, fitting her against him in a way only she'd ever fit.

She gave a small whimper before one of her hands slid back down to his chest and she gave him a little shove, pushing him down onto a large boulder that sat behind him.

He collapsed onto it and she followed, climbing onto his lap, straddling his waist. Her hands were suddenly on his face, caressing his cheeks, guiding his mouth to hers. She made a soft cooing sound and rocked her hips into his.

Garfield groaned into her mouth. He tilted his head back so she could better lean over him and arched his hips up ever so slightly. After all the months he'd been with Raven, it still aroused him deep down to his bones to simply kiss her.

He grabbed her hips, pulling her down onto him, growling again. She echoed his expression of need, the sounds between them erotic and primal. He wanted her so badly. He always wanted her. She was like an addiction. She had the ability to make him forget everything else.

 _Last resistance. Lower his defenses. Ability to make him forget everything else._ Those thoughts echoed warningly in his brain. He yanked his mouth away from hers, pulling back. "Are you distracting me?" he asked in astonishment.

Her lips quirked. "Maybe. Is it working?" She slipped a hand between them, gripping him through the front of his slacks.

His eyes practically rolled into the back of his head, but he somehow managed to keep his focus. "It was," he said with a groan.

"Then let it continue to." She squeezed him, making a sound of desire. She leaned forward, nibbling at his bottom lip. "You know you want to."

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to focus on something other than the fact that she was gripping his dick. "I…I want to see Raven."

"I am Raven."

"You're a part of her. I want the whole thing."

"I am willing to give you the whole thing," she whispered suggestively into his ear.

With much effort, Garfield wrapped a hand gently around her wrist and peeled her hand away from his crotch. "Stop stalling for her. I want to see Raven. All of her."

Passion sat back, her hands falling to her sides as she abandoned her assault. "You really do love her, don't you?"

"I do." He closed his hand over hers. "More than anything. So could you please, please get her for me?"

Lifting her free hand, she stroked it down the side of his cheek. "It would have been fun to fool around with you." She sighed and dropped her hand away. "But you're right. It's time the two of you had a talk." She climbed off of his lap, putting some distance between them. "Good luck, Garfield."

"Thanks." He closed his eyes and took a calming, centering breath. When he reopened them, Passion was gone and in her place stood Raven, the real Raven. Only… He blinked in surprise at finding her in a glowing white cloak and uniform.

Slowly, he climbed to his feet and gawked at her. "This is what happens when you're like perfectly balanced, right?" He waved a hand at her changed color scheme, in awe of how at peace she looked, how calm.

She nodded ever so slowly, a little smile touching her lips. "Perfectly balanced. The perfect version of me. You did this. You brought it out."

Garfield stared at her and was surprised to find he felt almost…sad. Puzzled by this, he studied his girlfriend. She looked so happy, so peaceful, but… "I don't want the perfect version of you," he said with a shake of his head.

"What?" Her tone was one of surprise. Her expression became puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"The perfect version of you. I don't want that. I don't want you to be perfect. I want…" He waved a hand in the air. "I want your flaws. I want your bad days. I was your insecurities and your worries. I don't want you to be perfect. I want you to be Raven—my Raven. I love all of her imperfections. They make her—you…human."

She blinked at him, silent for a long moment. Then, finally, she said, "You don't want this version of me? You want the…flawed one?"

"I do. I love the flawed one. And I think she loves me too."

Raven gave a little nod of her head and took a small step back.

One moment, she was wearing white. The next, she was back to her usual self, the Raven he knew. Her eyes were filled with insecurity and she wrapped her arms around her waist. "Gar…" She waved a hand at herself. "How could you prefer this to—"

He didn't give her a chance to finish that sentence. Instead, he swooped forward and silenced her with a kiss. He put every single emotion he felt for her into that kiss. And when she softened against him, he knew that she understood.

He pulled back, feeling breathless. His heart pounded in his chest, so hard he worried she could hear it. This was it. This was the moment. He knew it deep down to his very soul.

"Garfield," she whispered. But this time it wasn't with insecurity. Her voice was full of emotion, full of love.

Bursting with determination, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the ring box, and dropped to a knee in front of her. "Marry me." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

" _What_?" Her purple eyes had widened larger than he'd ever seen them. He knew his request had come as a shock. It was too soon to be thinking about such things. But he didn't care. He knew what his heart wanted. And that was Raven.

Sucking in a breath, he tried again, this time attempting to phrase it as a request instead of a demand. "Will you marry me?" He peeled back the lid of the small velvet box in his palm and displayed the ring nestled there to her. "I've been carrying this around with me for weeks, waiting for the right moment."

"You want to marry me?"

He nodded, feeling sweat beading on his palms. He'd never been more nervous in his life. He'd witnessed many horrors. He'd faced innumerable bad guys. But this moment here terrified him. "More than anything." He offered her a weak grin. "So what do you say, Raven? Will you marry me?"

Tears welled in her eyes and she bobbed her head emphatically. "Yes." The single word came out a small whisper and she was quick to repeat herself. "Yes. Of course!"

With shaking hands, he slid the ring onto her finger, taking pride in the way it looked on her delicate hand. He'd chosen wisely. His ring looked right at home on her finger, like it was always meant to be there.

She slipped her hand out of his and stared at the ring for a moment, as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. He understood how she felt, because he couldn't believe it either. Slowly, she lowered her hand, her gaze shifting to him instead. And a smile spread across her lips.

Bending over, she placed a hand at the back of his neck and brought her lips to his for a kiss. Instead of pulling away when it ended, she dropped to her knees beside him and gave him another kiss, her lips firm and passionate against his. She curled herself around him, hugging herself against his chest while she explored his mouth with her own. When she finally pulled back, her breath escaped her in a shuddering exhale. "I can't believe you proposed to me. This is insane."

"I can't believe it either," he said with a little chuckle. "I can't believe you said yes."

"Of course I said yes," she said, pressing her forehead to his and nuzzling against him. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'd be crazy not to." She then closed her eyes, taking a slow breath as she centered herself. She was still for a long moment, taking in the peace around them. When her eyes finally blinked back open, she gazed into his and whispered, "I'm sorry I freaked out. I'm not used to feeling so many emotions. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and I lose my cool. It doesn't mean I'm not one hundred percent committed to this relationship. I just sometimes need a few minutes to settle my nerves and remind myself of how amazing you are to me."

"You don't have to apologize to me for being human. We all get nervous sometimes." He smirked. "As long as you were serious about having a litter of green-skinned babies with me, I don't care how long you need to compose yourself after such a confession."

She laughed at this, her eyes crinkling in the corners with amusement. "A litter of green-skinned babies?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm not signing on for a litter, but one might be nice…or two," she conceded.

"Yeah?" Excitement filled him at the possibility of a family—a real family. A daughter with Raven's beautiful eyes but his ability to shapeshift, a son with fangs and pointed ears but Raven's pale skin. An endless possibility of combinations flitted through his mind and he loved each one more than the last.

"Yeah," she whispered, bobbing her head in answer. "I think that sounds pretty nice."

He swooped in and kissed her, his hands cupping her face. "I love you."

"I love you too, Gar." She sat back on her heels. Taking his hand in hers, she gazed at him with eyes full of love. "This is going to be one hell of a ride."

"It sure it," he said, tightening his hand around hers. "And I don't want to miss a single moment of it."

"Not a single moment."

As he sat gazing at her, he knew they were going to be just fine. Raven was his everything and he was happy to spend the rest of his life proving it to her. "Let's get started on this happily ever after."

She smiled at him. "I thought you'd never ask."

And he vowed silently to himself that was what it would be—happily ever after. The two of them. Until the end. He and Raven. The perfect pair. There was no doubt in his mind.

The End.

 _Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck by this story for a year. An entire year! I appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope the ending was fulfilling. I had so much fun writing it. I love these characters. BBRae forever!_


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